Turn Jell-O Shots Into A Classy Adult Christmas Treat With This Beverage

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If you're planning a holiday party and trying to make it look professional, it's understandable if your mind doesn't go to Jell-O shots right away. They have a reputation, and professional isn't normally a part of it. However, there are ways to upgrade these alcoholic treats to make them classier than what you'd find at a messy college party, and there are plenty of holiday-themed Jell-O shots out there. Distinguished, festive Jell-O shots are possible. The secret is to add red wine or sangria to the shots because they'll give the drinks a deep red Christmas color and a little more respectability.

Your typical Jell-O shot is made from vodka, but that's not a requirement. You can easily make Jell-O shots using most any variety of liquor. What does wine offer besides the color? Wine has a significantly lower alcohol concentration than vodka which will make these Jell-O shots less intense right off the bat. More importantly (or equally as important), wine provides a fruit flavor that's different than the artificial fruit flavored gelatin mix because you're using alcohol distilled from grapes. Naturally, sangria, which is made from wine and fresh fruit, will add an even stronger fresh fruit flavor. If your goal is non-alcoholic shots, then mocktail sparkling sangria is the ideal holiday replacement for wine anyway and makes for an easy substitution in your gelatin concoction.

Whether you've made Jell-O shots before or not, red wine or red sangria is an extremely easy substitution. The method for making Jell-O shots is basically the same: boil gelatin mix in water and then add the alcohol of your choice. You can add the wine by itself and leave it there or pour the wine Jell-O mix over fruit for presentation and flavor. Feel free to add some red cranberry juice, cherry juice, or even orange juice to build on the natural fruit taste. If you're thinking along the lines of sangria, a good choice here would be a zinfandel, merlot, or any of the Spanish red wines which are traditionally used in sangria. A wine with notes of cranberry will do best for a festive Christmastime Jell-O shot.

Unlike the usual, neon-colored vodka Jell-O shots, consider using an unflavored gelatin for these wine shots. Compared to a straight spirit — colorless and often featuring the sting of ethanol as a prominent flavor — wine will provide color and a more complex flavor, so it works great with a neutral gelatin. If the Christmas shots are a big enough hit and you're not too hungover, you can do the same trick to make Champagne Jell-O shots for the New Year's celebration.