Cranberry Ginger Smash Jello Shots

More About This Recipe

• Lately I have been having a great time experimenting with winter and holiday themed drinks, and wanted to share a fantastic recipe from the recently released cocktail tome Speakeasy: The Employees Only Guide to Classic Cocktails Reimagined. This book, authored by Jason Kosmas and Dushan Zaric (proprietors of the renowned Employees Only bar in New York), is a really lovely, inventive cocktail book and a great gift idea for any cocktail aficionados on your list! My recipe for Cranberry Ginger Smash Jelly Shots is an adaptation of Speakeasy’s Ginger Smash, a fresh, lively cocktail featuring fresh cranberries and ginger. I made a few substitutions, most prominently swapping in ginger vodka for gin (personally, I love gin, however, not all of my guests are like minded . . . if you do use gin, a lighter gin such as Plymouth brand works well). The only other change was to use lemonade concentrate instead of fresh lemon juice. This is necessary as fresh citrus hinders gelling. The resulting jelly shot is sweet and tart (from the fresh cranberries), with a slightly zingy quality (courtesy of the ginger). It’s fresh and different and perfect for holiday entertaining! A flexible silicon mold was used to set these jelly shots. The jewel shape is festive and fun, and the size is just right – each jelly shot is about one tablespoon in volume, just right for picking up and nibbling! The silicone molds are available at Kerekes. The jelly shots can also be set in a standard loaf pan (approximately 4” x 8”, metal or ceramic is fine), and cut into desired shapes before serving.