Champagne Jell-O Shots

By Steve Kilcullen Jump to Recipe

Are all acquaintances at your house for New Year’s Eve this year? Make sure you have enough Champagne Jell-O Shots to go around.

The classic Jell-O Shot, the perennial party favorite, has its roots in good old-fashioned civil disobedience. While serving in the Navy during the early 1950s, future singer and satirist Tom Lehrer supposedly came up with a crafty and delicious way to smuggle alcohol into a liquor-free Christmas party. He and a friend mixed vodka and orange-flavored Jell-O together in dozens of little cups, claiming they were just gelatin snacks for the gathering, thus circumventing the base’s booze ban. They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Well, there you go.

The Jell-O Shot persists today, and rightfully so. Vodka is the great, all-time mixer. Having a crisp and neutral flavor—unless you go for flavored varieties like citron, etc.—vodka will meld with and take on the notes of the other ingredients it’s combined with. And with a nice selection of Jell-O and other gelatin mixes you can get at your local grocery store, the flexibility and ease that this shot offers makes it the perfect boozy treat for large shindigs.

Which brings us to tonight’s recipe, the Champagne Jell-O Shot. A must-have for holiday celebrations, especially New Year’s Eve, you can also make these for yourself and that someone special. These are quite elegant compared to their vodka-based brethren. The spirit is still present in the Champagne Jell-O Shot, but mixed with lemon juice, your choice of bubbly and unflavored gelatin, the sparkling bite of the champagne still shines through all the jiggling the shot will do as it slides down your throat. Pair them with oysters to see where the night goes. Sounds like a great way to ring in the New Year.

What Is The Best Bubbly To Use In Champagne Jell-O Shots?

Since we went over vodka earlier in the piece, let’s focus a bit on the bubbles you’ll need to make Champagne Jell-O Shots. You don’t have to only use a bottle of champagne. Despite this shot’s name, any sparkling wine, cava or prosecco of your choice will work. For myself, when mixing any of these in a cocktail or with any other ingredients, I like a dry bottle of fizz. You want a balance of flavors in your shot, with none of the elements overtaking the others.

WHAT GLASSWARE AND GARNISH IS USED?

You can make these in elegant-looking shot glasses, or even disposable ones if you have more guests than glassware. Garnish with edible gold flakes to complete those fancy vibes.

CAN YOU USE FLAVORED JELL-O IN THIS RECIPE?

If you like, you can totally experiment with this recipe by trying other flavors of Jell-O. You can even make a variety of different tasting Champagne Shots for a party too, keeping things colorful and festive.

Other Festive Drinks Worth Trying

Since you’re never far from a celebration of some kind, you may need to have a little cocktail menu drafted up for yourself when it’s your turn to host a soirée. The Champagne Jell-O Shot is sure to please all your guests, but one cannot live on that by itself as everyone takes turns under the mistletoe. You might want a few other party favors handy, so check out these other seasonal tipples from Twist & Toast.

• Spiked Eggnog – What would the holidays be without some spiced and Spiked Eggnog.
• Cranberry Whiskey Sour – A tart and tangy take on the classic whiskey cocktail.
• Christmas Martini -A chocolate-flavored and creamy vodka tipple, perfect for sipping by the fire.
• Poinsettia – Here’s another effervescent and festive holiday cocktail to share with family and friends.