Shots, shots, and more shots! If that does not sound like a fun time waiting to happen, then maybe this is not the article for you. This list is going to be all the great things that come in small packages, or shot glasses for this occasion, when gathered with a good group of friends or just a friendly group of good people.
Who does not love small, seemingly innocent things that pack a punch like no other? I mean seriously, shots have to be one of the best inventions when it comes to drinking and bartending ever. Small enough that you do not feel like you are over doing it, yet strong enough to cause everyone to make that scrunched up, what have I done with my life, face. (Little tip of advice, if you take a shot with someone and they do not make that face, run for the hills because you are dealing with one bad mother, haha.)
For right now though, I want to focus this list on the shots that will bring back parts of your childhood; make you think for a moment if you were seriously taking in alcohol at all. Pure and simple. Delicious and mouthwatering. Jello shots, those amazing creations meant to mix a childhood favorite snack, with a loved adult past time.
We all know that these shots will have to start somewhere, and that somewhere is the alcohol used to make them. This list is going to look for the best of the best when it comes to that alcohol and how it helps improve the flavor of the shots, and then what Jello shots can be made with that alcohol. So with that, lets get to tasting.
1. Irish Cream – With the most sought after brand being Bailey’s Irish Cream for both flavor and color.
a. Bailey’s Irish Cream Jello Shot – With a smooth mixture of the liqueur and either coffee or espresso (depending on the coffee strength desired), this shot is best topped with a small swirl of whipped cream. Tasting similar to a perfectly balanced cappuccino, this Jello shot maybe a little more on the adult side of flavors, but the texture will bring back the childhood memories.
b. Mudslide Jello Shot – Who did not love the chocolaty, smoothness that went with a delicious bite of mudslide cake as a child? Mudslide Jello shots combine that wonderful taste with the fascinating feel of Jello. Combing Bailey’s with Kahlua and chocolate, this shot is guaranteed to be a success at any backyard barbeque.
2. Flavored Vodka – While there does not seem to be just one brand of vodka being used, there does seem to be one thing that stays constant, flavors. Everyone loves to use flavored vodka to help with creating new, and bolder, flavors for their Jello shots.
a. Orange Crush Jello Shot – Sodas, those sugary, bubbly drinks that most everyone as a kid loved. The fruity ones were the best, at least to me. So an orange flavored Jello shot seems like the best of both worlds. Using Orange Crush flavored Jello and then Svedka’s Clementine Vodka together excites my taste buds, and is definitely a combination I would recommend to anyone.
b. Caramel Green Apple Jello Shots – I do not know about you, but a childhood favorite of mine when I got to go the fair was a caramel apple. And everyone knows that the best caramel apples were made with green, Granny Smith apples, where the tartness of the apples played so well off the sweetness of the caramel. Well with this Jello shot made with Smirnoff’s Caramel flavored vodka, and Jolly Rancher Green Apple flavored Jello, that long lost flavor is brought back in a very much adult way.
c. Apple Pie Jello Shot – So maybe the above mentioned caramel apple flavor is not your childhood favorite like it was mine, do not fret because I have another wonderful combination for you. An amazing apple pie flavor that is made by mixing Pinnacle’s Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll flavored vodka with Jello’s Jolly Rancher Green Apple flavored gelatin. I am sure that the bright green color will side with the kid in you and keep you coming back for more.
3. Rum – Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum seems to be one of the most go to when making shots, and I would guess because for the price, it tends to have the smoothest, and most even taste. It is that spiced flavor that pairs so nicely with a Coke, or can be just the flavor explosion you were looking for on its own. Not many people would think of spices and a hint of heat as something reminiscent of their childhood favorite foods, but trust be when I say that this alcohol will go all the way with bringing back the nostalgia you are looking for.
a. Rum and Coke Jello Shots – An ice cold Cherry Coke was my sister’s preferred drink on hot summer days around the pool. So imagine our excitement when we came across the amazingness of a Jello shot that packed all the fun flavors of those childhood summer days, with the spiciness we love from a good rum. Needless to say it was pretty much love at first shot.
4. Flavored Schnapps – Probably the alcohol that gets me in the most trouble to be honest, and one that I would easily claim as my favorite. Schnapps are amazing and terrible all at the same time. Tasting nothing like alcohol and everything like the flavor, and no need to mix anything up like with a mixed drink, I am sure you can see where this can be dangerous in the best of ways. Now imagine pairing all of that wonderful flavor with Jello and all of its wonderful flavors. The combinations are limitless.
a. Pineapple Upside Down Jello Shot – I remember many times in my childhood where I would get in trouble for trying to sneak into the kitchen after my grandmother had taken her delicious Pineapple Upside Down cake out of the oven. I never wanted the hot, fluffy cake, no I was always going for the gooey, caramel-butterscotch flavored cherries and pineapples. I wanted all of that sweetness to myself. Needless to say when I was introduced to a Jello Shot that tasted like that wonderful fruity crust, I was in awe. Made with Philips Butterscotch schnapps, Svedka cherry flavored vodka, and pineapple Jello, it is a shot made in heaven.