How to Make a Jello Shot

Introduction

• Jello shots can be a great alternative to serving traditional alcoholic beverages. By substituting alcohol for a portion of the water used in a normal Jello recipe, you can create a delicious snack that also contains the alcohol content of your favorite drink. Not only are they easy to make and fun to drink, but you can customize the basic recipe to make whatever flavored shot you enjoy most! Follow the instructions below in order to make a tasty treat that will be a hit at your next party or get-together.

What You'll Need

Multi-colored Jello Shots (Creative Commons photo by Will Luo)

• (Note: 1 cup = 8 ounces)

1. 6 ounces of Jello or gelatin mix (usually 1 large package) - Any flavor except sugar-free
2. 16 ounces of boiling water
3. 6 ounces of cold water
4. 20 small plastic cups or shot glasses
5. Non-stick cooking spray
6. Mixing bowl
7. 10 ounces of 80-proof hard alcohol (Cold).

• Note: While Vodka is the most common type of alcohol used in jello shots, any type of hard liquor will do. See below for various Jello/Alcohol flavor combinations.

How to Make a Jello Shot

1. Pour the contents of your Jello packet into a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix in the boiling water while stirring gently. Let it sit for a minute so that the gelatin can fully activate.
3. Stir in the alcohol and cold water.
4. Set up your small cups or shot glasses on a serving tray.
5. Give each cup a small spray of cooking oil. This will help keep the Jello from sticking to the bottom.
6. Pour the alcohol/jello/water mixture into the cups or glasses
7. Place your tray of Jello shots in the refrigerator and let them cool for at least two hours.
8. Remove from the fridge, serve and enjoy!

 

Popular Jello Shot Flavor Combinations

• You can experiment with making different flavored Jello shots by using these Jello flavor/alcohol combinations. If you are using a type of alcohol that is other than 80-proof, make sure to consult the proportion chart to find out how much water you should use.

Alcohol/Water Proportion Chart

• Margarita Shot: Lime Jello, Triple Sec & Tequila
• Daiquiri Shot: Strawberry Jello & Rum
• Pina Colada Shot: Pineapple Jello & Coconut Rum
• Mojito Shot: Lime Jello, Light Rum, Fresh Mint & Sugar
• Lemon Drop Shot: Lemon Jello & Vodka
• Mai Tai Shot: Orange and Pineapple Jello, Rum & Almond Extract
• Mimosa Shot: Orange Jello, Orange Juice and Champagne
• Amaretto Sour Shot: Lime Jello, Amaretto & Lemon Juice

Jello Shot Variations

• Once you've mastered the art of making a normal Jello shot, you can start experimenting with other ways to serve and enjoy your alcohol. Here are a few variations on the traditional Jello shot recipe.

Jello Orange Slices

Jello Orange Slices (Creative Commons photo by Patrick Haney)

1. Buy fresh oranges.
2. Prepare the Jello/alcohol mixture.
3. Slice the oranges in half with a sharp knife.
4. Scoop out the edible parts of the orange with a spoon.
5. Pour the Jello/alcohol mixture into the orange halves.
6. Place the filled orange halves in the refrigerator for several hours to cool and solidify.
7. When they have reached the proper consistency, slice the filled oranges as you would a normal orange half in order to create orange wedges.

• Recipe Resources: WikiHow | FoodTV | Meals Matter

Jello Syringes

Jello Syringes (Creative Commons photo by Paul Irish)

1. Purchase a number of safe and clean Jello Injectors from a reputable party or bartending supply store.
2. Make your Jello/Alcohol mixture the same way you would a normal Jello Shot.
3. Instead of pouring the mixture into cups, take your injectors and suck up enough of the mixture to fill the syringe.
4. Place your injectors in the refrigerator let them cool.
5. Serve and enjoy!

• Recipe Resources: Drink Street | JelloShotz

Jello Shot Inside a Banana

Tips, Tricks and Warnings

1. Use alcohol that has been kept in the freezer for at least an hour before use. This will help to minimize vapor loss.
2. While shot glasses may look cooler, using paper cups will make it easier to access the Jello.
3. If you don't have paper cups or shot glasses, an ice tray will also work for holding the Jello shots.
4. If you want a more potent Jello shot, you can try using more alcohol and less water in your recipe. But be careful, if there is too much alcohol and not enough water, the Jello won't set and you'll have a runny, gooey mess.
5. Be Careful! Although Jello shots may taste great, they still have as much alcohol in each of them as a full glass of Beer, Wine or a shot of hard alcohol. And because the alcohol is mixed in with the Jello, it takes longer for you to feel its effects, making it harder for you to accurately judge how drunk you really are.

Other Online Jello Shot Resources

Mmmmmm Jello! (Creative Commons photo by Ryan McLean

Articles

• WikiHow: How to Make Jello Shots
• DrinkStreet: Drink Recipe: Jello Shots
• MyScienceProject: Light a Jell-O Shot on Fire
• eHow: How to Make Jell-O Shots
• My Science Project: Best Tasting Jell-O Shot

Videos

• About.com: How to Make Jello Shots
• MetaCafe: Most Powerful Jello Shot in the World
• ViewDo: How to Make Jello Shots