Cocktail jellies update the Jell-O shot with whimsy and a wink
My first encounters with Jell-O were back in elementary school, when the jewel-hued cubes would show up at the cafeteria. We’d open our mouths to display them jiggling grotesquely, then smuggle the leftovers onto the playground to hurl at other kids.
That was the 1980s. America’s more terrifying gelatin era was already in the rearview. I’m grateful to have missed the 1960s “fluff” desserts made of pineapple, marshmallows, mayonnaise, cottage cheese and lime Jell-O, and the dishes of the ’40s and ’50s, when it was common practice to throw vegetables — peas! olives! celery, for the love of Pete! — into a Bundt pan with lime Jell-O and serve these green horror-domes proudly at ladies’ luncheons. Looking at pictures of those purported “salads,” I’m not surprised children of the era sought escape in sitar music and recreational drugs.
It wasn’t until grad school that I tried a Jell-O shot. Some liquor brand had sent a bevy of young women in crop tops, short shorts and student-loan debt into a sports bar to pass out what looked like trays full of medical samples. I don’t remember anything about their flavor — which is the problem with this kind of marketing, aside from [gestures wildly at the centuries-long history of objectifying women to sell merch]: While the jiggly format of the booze was amply echoed by its purveyors, I forgot the product immediately.
These are the sort of lowbrow associations I have with Jell-O shots.
So a few years ago, when I first saw the cocktail jellies coming out of Solid Wiggles, I may have actually gasped. They look like fused glass, shot through with polka dots and geometries of color, an edible disco, in classic cocktail flavors like French 75, Clover Club and espresso martini.
Now the co-founders have released an eponymous book, teaching cocktail aficionados how the magic is made.
Solid Wiggles is a duo, Jena Derman and Jack Schramm. She’s got the pastry and desserts background. He’s got the bartending science, having come up under Dave Arnold, author of the cocktail science tome “Liquid Intelligence.” The pair started working together when Derman, looking to perfect her desserts, reached out to Schramm to learn how to clarify citrus juice using the culinary centrifuge Arnold had developed. They started playing around with boozy jellies for fun, but the pandemic inspired them to keep going: They offered some of the cocktail jellies at a socially distanced, outdoor bar event, and sold out in an hour and a half. The business has grown from there.
Schramm first encountered the Jell-O shot at a dive bar where “the price goes down for every 10 shots you buy. So if you buy 30, they’re only a dollar apiece, but they’re $3 if you just get one. It’s that kind of vibe. They were so much fun! And not delicious at all.”
But it’s a trend in the craft cocktail world to take the bad or tacky drinks of yesteryear and upgrade them. Along with their visual oomph, Solid Wiggles jellies incorporate fresh juice and good spirits, and most have a high-acid pop that Schramm and Derman think is a big part of the appeal.
The jelly shot experience is inherently different from drinking cocktails. The jellies are lower ABV, and “our shots are like a snapshot of some of the highlights of what you’ll get from a cocktail,” Derman says. “We’re really trying to nod to the cocktails themselves.”
“When you’re lifting a cocktail to your mouth, you’re smelling the aroma of the spirit and you’re feeling the coldness,” Schramm says. With a cocktail jelly, the drink’s components are set in the gel so the aromas are reduced, and “that multi-sensoriness of it is reduced to the exact moment that you pop it in your mouth.”
Don’t come to this book planning to make those gem-like jellies in a free hour after work. The more complex projects involve injecting a mixture of gelatin, food coloring and milk into the boozy gelatin layers you’ve already poured, and require practice and time. But the results are worth it.
Happily, the book is divided into “Party Animal” and “Party Pro” sections, with the former being easier shots that take only a few hours, most of which is setting time. Both the Nonalcoholic Cherry Lime Rickey Jellies and the Aperol Spritz Jellies fall into that category. I added visual interest to the rickey recipe with cocktail cherries. The Aperol spritz shots are already bright and fun, with their layering of neon orange over the paler prosecco layer.
The authors advise using silver leaf gelatin instead of powdered, and note that they worked hard to find a vegetarian approach but failed. I had never worked with leaf gelatin before, but it’s a snap: It comes in thin sheets that look like clear plastic. You submerge them in cold water for a few minutes to “bloom” them, after which they become pliable, swishing about like transparent kelp. (A Solid Wiggles starter kit, with silver sheet gelatin, a clarification kit and injection tools, is available on the authors’ website.)
But my contrarian streak is such that when someone tells me something can’t be done, my first reaction tends to be: You’re not the boss of me. I really wanted to find an option for vegetarians — gelatin is made by boiling animal bones, which makes me queasy, and as someone always trying to do better for animals, I’d hoped to find the veg versions acceptable. So I’m sorry to concur with the book: Agar agar and carrageenan (common veg replacements for gelatins in other culinary applications) didn’t fly here. The flavors and visuals weren’t bad, but the texture was off-putting. The shots crumbled rather than twerked. The mouthfeel reminded me of the “Simpsons” episode when Ralph Wiggum eats paste.
On the leaf versus powdered gelatin question, the authors write that the powdered stuff “smells like a fart. Once Pandora’s Butt is open, there’s no unsmelling it.” With the caveat that my sense of smell has been sadly diminished by Covid, I had more able sniffers take a whiff of powdered gelatin, and none of them were bothered. I mention this because powdered gelatin is available in most grocery stores, so if you’re trying to make a fast batch of jellies for a party and don’t have time to order leaf gelatin, I don’t think you’ll send guests running. I can’t say the same if you opt to add olives and celery.
Nonalcoholic Cherry Lime Rickey Jellies
For the gelatin
Ice
Cold water
6 sheets (14 grams) silver-strength sheet gelatin (see Where to buy and Variations)
For the jellies
⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, strained (from 2 to 3 limes)
⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
⅓ cup tart cherry juice
Cocktail cherries, such as Amarena, preferably with stems (optional)
Bloom the gelatin: Fill a shallow pan about two-thirds full with ice and cold water. Add the gelatin sheets one at a time, making sure they do not stick together, swishing them around gently. Let soak until fully softened and pliable, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the sheets and squeeze firmly to remove excess water. Set aside until ready to use.
Make the jellies: In a small (2-quart) saucepan over medium heat, combine the lime juice, sugar, water and cherry juice. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is steaming. Do not allow it to boil.
Remove from the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin one sheet at a time until it completely dissolves. Transfer the mixture to a heatproof measuring cup or pitcher with a pour spout.
Arrange ten 2-ounce cups, shot glasses or silicone molds on a tray. Drop in a cocktail cherry, if using, with the stem sticking up. Divide the mixture evenly among the cups and refrigerate until fully set, at least 2 hours. Serve with spoons or straight out of the cups with napkins for finger-cleaning.
Servings: 10 (makes ten 2-ounce jellies)
Active time: 30 minutes; Total time: 2 hours 30 minutes, including chilling time
Note: You’ll need 2-ounce condiment containers, shot cups or silicone mini-cupcake molds for this recipe.
Make ahead: The jellies need to be refrigerated for at least 2 hours to set, and can be prepared and refrigerated up to 1 week in advance.
Storage: Refrigerate in covered containers for up to 1 week.
Where to buy: Silver-strength sheet gelatin can be found online and at specialty baking stores. Shot cups or condiment containers can be found at most grocery stores.
Variations: Sheet gelatin produces a cleaner flavor and aroma than powdered gelatin and is preferred here, but you can substitute powdered. One 7-gram packet of powdered gelatin (such as Knox brand) equals approximately 3 sheets of silver-strength sheet gelatin. Rather than heating the mixture first, place the lime juice, water, cherry juice and sugar in a small saucepan and mix to combine, then sprinkle the gelatin powder over the liquid and stir. Allow the powder to bloom for a few minutes, then warm the mixture until just simmering; do not boil.
Nutritional facts per jelly: Calories: 48, Fat: 0 g, Saturated Fat: 0 g, Carbohydrates: 11 g, Sodium: 10 mg, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Protein: 1 g, Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 9 g.
— Adapted from “Solid Wiggles” by Jena Derman and Jack Schramm (Ten Speed Press, 2026)
•••
Aperol Spritz Jellies
For the gelatin
Ice
Cold water
6 sheets (14 grams) silver-strength sheet gelatin (see Where to buy and Variations)
For the prosecco-orange layer
⅓ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon prosecco
¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon fresh orange juice, strained (from 2 oranges)
¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon water
½ teaspoon citric acid (see Where to buy)
For the Aperol-lime layer
¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons Aperol
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, strained (from 1 lime)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Bloom the gelatin: Fill a shallow pan about two-thirds full with ice and cold water. Add the gelatin sheets one at a time, making sure they do not stick together, swishing them around gently. Let soak until fully softened and pliable, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the sheets and squeeze firmly to remove excess water. Set aside until ready to use.
Make the prosecco-orange layer: In a small (2-quart) saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, prosecco, orange juice, water and citric acid. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is steaming. Do not allow it to boil.
Remove from the heat and stir in 4½ sheets of the bloomed gelatin one sheet at a time until they completely dissolve. Transfer the mixture to a heatproof measuring cup or pitcher with a pour spout.
Arrange ten 2-ounce glasses, cups or silicone molds on a tray. Divide the mixture evenly among them, about two-thirds full, leaving room for the second layer. Transfer to the freezer and set a timer to chill the shots for exactly 30 minutes.
Make the Aperol-lime layer: While the first layer is setting, in a small (2-quart) saucepan over medium heat, combine the Aperol, water, lime juice and sugar. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is steaming. Do not allow it to boil.
Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1½ sheets of bloomed gelatin until they completely dissolve.
Once the timer goes off, remove the cups from the freezer. Carefully pour the Aperol-lime mixture over the prosecco-orange layer, dividing it evenly among the cups. (You may wish to use a tablespoon for this.) Refrigerate until fully set, at least 1 hour, before serving with spoons or straight out of the cups with napkins for finger-cleaning.
Servings: 10 (makes ten 2-ounce jellies)
Active time: 1 hour; Total time: 2 hours 30 mins, including chilling time
You’ll need miniature wine glasses, condiment containers or silicone mini-cupcake molds for this recipe.
Make ahead: The first layer needs to chill in the freezer for 30 minutes before the second layer is added. The finished jellies can be prepared and refrigerated up to 1 week in advance.
Storage: Refrigerate in covered containers for up to 1 week.
Where to buy: Silver-strength sheet gelatin can be found online and at specialty baking stores. Citric acid can be found in the canning section of many supermarkets and online. Shot cups or condiment containers can be found at most grocery stores.
Substitutions: For orange juice, use blood orange juice for a deeper color and flavor. For prosecco, use any brut-style sparkling wine. Instead of Aperol, use Campari for a more bitter variation.
Variations: Sheet gelatin produces a cleaner aroma than powdered gelatin and is preferred here, but you can substitute powdered. One 7-gram packet of powdered gelatin (such as Knox brand) equals approximately 3 sheets of silver-strength sheet gelatin. Rather than heating the mixture first, place the sugar, prosecco, orange juice, water and citric acid in a small saucepan and mix to combine, then sprinkle 5 grams of the gelatin powder over the liquid and stir. Allow the powder to bloom for a few minutes, then warm the mixture until just simmering; do not boil. Repeat the process with the Aperol, water, lime juice and sugar mixture, adding 2 grams of gelatin powder.
Nutritional facts per jelly: Calories: 64, Fat: 0 g, Saturated Fat: 0 g, Carbohydrates: 11 g, Sodium: 10 mg, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Protein: 1 g, Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 11 g.
— Adapted from “Solid Wiggles” by Jena Derman and Jack Schramm (Ten Speed Press, 2026)