Once associated with casual party scenes, jelly shots are now being reimagined as polished, design-led creations. A new wave of makers is turning the classic gelatin treat into a playful format that blends cocktail culture, visual art, and culinary technique.
At the center of this shift is Solid Wiggles, a Brooklyn-based team founded in 2020 by pastry chef Jena Derman and Jack Schramm. What began as an experimental birthday treat has grown into a full-time operation with boozy and nonalcoholic jelly creations now appearing in bars and restaurants across New York City. Their menu includes inventive flavors such as mango mezcal margarita, aperitivo spritz, lychee martini, Hennessy colada, and espresso martini.
The trend has also spread beyond New York. In Los Angeles, Vandell serves off-menu jelly shots in stemmed glassware. In Portland, Oma's Hideaway offers rotating versions with a playful, textural approach. Chicago's Bub City has added a regional twist with Malört-based shots, while home cooks and creators have embraced the format through DIY kits and social platforms.
This June, Solid Wiggles expanded its reach with a debut cookbook and DIY jelly-making kit. Designed in two skill levels, the book aims to be both approachable and visually striking, pairing practical guidance with art-book styling. The project reflects a broader appetite for desserts and drinks that feel expressive, shareable, and memorable.
By giving molded jelly a modern identity, creators are showing how a nostalgic format can evolve into a fresh lifestyle experience. The rise of elegant jelly shots suggests that food design may continue to move toward more immersive, artistic, and personalized forms in the future.