Real men don't drink Shirley Temples.

I currently work in the food service industry, so I get some strange culinary requests from time to time.

These requests range from intriguing to down right disgusting, and some even make me a little mad. One of the requests that makes me a little mad is when a grown man orders a Shirley Temple.

Shirley Temple - the drink

For those who are not familiar with the drink, it is lemon-lime soda flavored with a little grenadine (cherry flavored syrup) and topped with a Maraschino cherry and is named after Shirley Temple, the curly headed child star of the 1930's.

In addition to being a bit of a pain in the butt to make, I find it down right contemptible that grown man would order a drink named after America's First Sweetheart.

Is it any wonder that Hollywood can't find any American actors to play superhero roles.

But what do you really expect when our men are sipping on Shirley Temples rather than pouring a more manly drink down their gullet?

My advice to the men and young men out there... order a real drink.

Not saying it has to be an alcoholic beverage, but if you feel the need to get all crazy on the mixed drinks can you at least wet you whistle with an Arnold Palmer instead?

Is that too much to ask?