In my college years, Making Jell-O shots was a sexy activity characterized by hazardous shots of vodka, which we would stir into a powdered mix. After being served and set, the jiggly shots were consumed slowly and slurped out from a small cup or scooped with your fingers.
However, in Solid Wiggles, a Brooklyn-based studio that creates jellies, both non-boozy and boozy cakes, mixologist Jack Schramm as well as the pastry chef Jena Derman make drinks that substitute the Kool-Aid or Kraft-Heinz tastes that we grew up with (think the ice fruit punch and blue raspberries) to Negronis as well as Jiggly middle or sours as well as coffee martinis in a solid form. Utilizing booze from smaller producers such as Faccio the Brutto Supergay, as well as Gwendoline Gin, and utilizing ingredients like sheet gelatin as well as organic fruit purees, Solid Wiggles eschews Jell-O shots with their snobbery and elevates jellies that are spiked into something tasty and attractive. Their final designs are two-bite or one-bite cocktails that are disco-infused, sophisticated, and refined in flavor and appearance. Often, they are Iridescent but geometrical and neon green, occasionally sporting edible flowers (made using condensed milk) or basketballs (orange and Hennessy) suspended in gelatin.
Schramm And Derman are only two small pieces of the wave bar crew bringing Jell-O shots into the spotlight by putting together classy cocktail-like dance moves. Then, in New York City alone, Marian’s team Marian’s creates a gelatinized version of their home-brewed Negroni with two parts: a standard Negroni served with ice and a variant served jiggling in an ice cube. In SoHo, the fabled nightclub Milady’s has a rotating menu of jelly shots — at present, patrons can sip down a neon-green Midori cocktail or the digestive-y Dreamboat drink. This post-dinner sipper is made of Faccio Brutto cocktail, orange, and lime (made by Solid Wiggles).
The presentation is similarly sophisticated to match the fascinating components of these shots. Instead of dull glass or plastic shot glasses, They’re served in an elongated half-shell scallop. Also, at Lillistar, the high-vibe hot spot located on the top of Moxy Williamsburg Hotel, guests can enjoy a high-energy hot site on the roof. In Moxy Williamsburg Hotel, guests dance to DJs and sip back Jell-O shots served with soup spoons. The current offerings include Jelly French 75s and Lychee martinis.
All over the world, White Lyan in D.C. produces the jellied Bombay Sapphire Grand Cru sours and serves them with Champagne chaser. 12 in Portland is a place that makes a gelatinized cocktail using limoncello made by the house as well as bergamot and orange curacao and then tops it off with a sophisticated splash of bubbly. “It’s a little bit of a throwback — most people who order it laugh as they ask for it,” says the general manager Sebastien Taffara.
Although yesterday’s Jell-O shots were crafted to be a heavy drinker’s delight, The new Jell-O shots of today are conversation pieces that focus on food. “They’re stunningly beautiful, but also delicious,” Milady’s wife, Julie Reiner. “And it’s an enjoyable way to start (or finish off!) your evening.”
“Some customers react to the cocktail flavors, some react to the artistic vision, and others react to the pastry wonder,” says Schramm, behind Lillistar’s, Milady’s, and Porchlight’s jelly shots. “The most gratifying moment isn’t the visual reveal (although we love that) — it’s when we watch them take the first bite and realize that we spent just as much time making them delicious as we did making them beautiful.”
In contrast to And unlike Jell-O shots of the past, modern photos don’t need to be designed to be a party. They can be constructed according to your mood. Oddly Enough is a bar in Bed-Stuy and queer bar offers classic cocktails -Jellied spiced margaritas and an N Egroni Sbagliato (with Prosecco) or a screwdriver for pineapple All solid Wiggles make a jig. At Dallas, Midnight Rambler offers Miami Vice-flavored shots of Jell-Owhich are made from coconut milk with pineapple, coconut rum, and strawberry lime in the form of eggs with deviled yolks. Hungry? Are you hungry? Gowanus’ Cafe Mars looks at the menu of food for an appetizer called “jell-olives,” which are big Castelvetranos floating on Negronified pieces of jellies. They’re much closer to an aperitivo rather than an amplified shot.
Despite their common origins, they are entirely different, referencing one of the JellO shot’s modern values: its versatility. Unsurprisingly, making gelatinized drinks, especially the most imaginative ones, is challenging. “[Making jell-O shots is] more scientific than our usual cocktail crafting,” says Twelve’s Taffara. “We need to make sure that the consistency and texture of the Jell-O are correct without turning it into an unwieldy brick or becoming too liquid. However, the same principles are the same as with regular cocktail making — that is, making sure that all flavors are balanced so it is clean and fresh and not excessively sweet.”
“A crucial thing to remember is that the final product won’t be a liquid!” Says Schramm. “Some styles of cocktails, primarily ultra-boozy drinks like Old Fashioneds or creamy drinks like espresso martinis, just don’t transfer well to a chewable jelly.” Tropical fruit-forward cocktails and citrus are best enjoyed in jelly.
“The past few years have been a time of overwhelming heaviness,” says Schramm. “Folks have become nostalgia for the days before there were pandemics, global warming and things were simple. They’re looking for some levity and whimsy all around! We’re delighted to come up with something enjoyable and tasty that will provide an escape, no matter how brief.”