Last Updated on March 1, 2024 by Lydia Martin
Vodka jello shots are a great addition to fun and tasty treats for any adult occasion. These playful gelatin shots can entertain your homies at college parties and holiday events.
But do you know that using the right vodka brand could elevate these colorful shots?
So, we meticulously tested different vodkas to determine the best vodka for jello shots.
Top 10 Smooth Vodkas For Jello Shots
1. New Amsterdam Vodka
Average Price: Around $12 for 750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Nose: Clean, subtle sweetness, hints of citrus, faint vanilla, delicate floral notes.
Palate: Smooth, mild graininess, subtle creaminess, light lemon zest, gentle vanilla, faint almond.
Star Rating: ★★★★★
Why We Like It: New Amsterdam is perfect for mixed drinks, punches, and one of the best vodkas for jello shots. It’s an iconic vodka as the cityscape on its bottle.
“No matter how many Jell-O shots or Jaeger shooters you might have downed at college mixers …any Russian – can drink you under the table.” -Anthony Bourdain, Chef
It is distilled five times and filtered three times, giving a soft and unparalleled smoothness. Since it is a plain vodka, we combined it with cherry limeade and cherry gelatin mixture for fruit flavor combinations.
2. Tito’s Handmade Vodka
Average Price: Around $20 for 750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Nose: Subtle citrus, mild sweetness, clean notes, delicate herbal hints, faint black pepper.
Palate: Smooth, creamy texture, gentle graininess, light lemon zest, subtle vanilla, a hint of white pepper
Star Rating: ★★★★☆
Why We Like It: This six-time distilled vodka brand gives a distinct and smooth taste. Tito’s Handmade Vodka is good to sip neat because of its smooth texture. But it’s also a versatile spirit that can make your jello shot stand out.
Since we wanted a clean but fruity jello shot, we combined Tito’s Handmade vodka, strawberry lemonade fruit juice, and strawberry jello.
3. Absolut Citron Vodka
Average Price: Around $18 for 750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Nose: Zesty lemon, vibrant citrus, clean, faint herbal notes, subtle sweetness.
Palate: Crisp lemon flavor, tangy citrus, mild graininess, refreshing, hint of lemon zest.
Star Rating: ★★★★☆
Why We Like It: Absolut vodka is another brand that offers many rich flavors at a low price and a long shelf life.
It is an affordable but high-quality vodka that you can use to make jello shots. If you’re a fan of neutral vodkas, then you will love this Absolut vodka.
If you prefer a delicious shot, combine vanilla vodka and peach gelatin to make a Peach Cobbler.
4. Skyy Infusions Vodka
Average Price: Around $13 for 750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Nose: Vibrant fruitiness, bold citrus, clean, hints of tropical notes, subtle sweetness.
Palate: Intense fruit flavors, tropical essence, smooth, mild graininess, hints of mango and pineapple.
Star Rating: ★★★★☆
Why We Like It: Skyy Infusion Vodka is smooth-tasting vodka with the lively infused juiciness of pineapple. It has a natural flavoring and is light in texture.
When making Jell-O shots, knowing how much vodka goes in the boiling water is necessary.
Add half cup of the flavored vodka so it doesn’t taste bitter- it matches the jello shot recipes well. Skyy Infusion’s Cold Brew Coffee, Apricot, and Blood Orange is a must-try in jello shots.
5. Svedka Vodka
Average Price: Around $12 for 750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Nose: Clean, subtle sweetness, faint citrus, delicate floral notes, a hint of vanilla.
Palate: Smooth, mild graininess, subtle creaminess, light citrus zest, gentle vanilla, faint almond.
Star Rating: ★★★★☆
Why We Like It: Svedka Vodka is a cheap vodka for jello shots. It is the best vodka for jello shots because the distinctively flavors shine.
The brand offers infused vodkas such as Strawberry Guava, Ginger Lime, and Svedka Rose, made from rose wine.
Svedka has a slightly sweet and peppery note perfect for mixing jello shots. It has a smooth taste and clean texture and won’t add any off-taste and flavors to your jello shots.
6. Grey Goose Essences
Average Price: Around $28 for 750ml
Alcohol Content: 30% ABV
Nose: Fragrant botanicals, herbal notes, clean, subtle citrus, delicate floral hints.
Palate: Refreshing herbal flavors, gentle citrus, smooth, subtle sweetness, light botanical undertones.
Star Rating: ★★★☆☆
Why We Like It: Grey Goose is a premium and famous vodka brand for jello shots. Its infused vodkas are all-natural spirits with natural fruit and herbs containing 30% ABV.
It offers other flavor variants, including Le Citron, Le Melon, L’Orange, and Cherry Noir. Grey Goose Essence is an excellent choice for jello shots, especially when you combine lemon gelatin and lemon peel into the mixture.
7. Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka
Average Price: Around $13 for 750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Nose: Clean, subtle sweetness, faint citrus, mild vanilla, delicate grain notes.
Palate: Smooth, mild graininess, subtle creaminess, light citrus zest, gentle vanilla, faint almond.
Star Rating: ★★★☆☆
Why We Like It: Smirnoff No. 21 is an award-winning exotic vodka with a classic robust taste and a dry finish. It’s considered one of the best vodka brands in the world.
Its smokey sensation and smooth texture are a good match for a jello shot. Smirnoff brand also has a lot of flavored vodkas to choose from at a low price.
8. Hangar 1 Buddha’s Hand Citron Vodka
Average Price: Around $29.99 for 750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Nose: Vibrant citrus, zesty lemon, clean, hints of herbal notes, subtle sweetness.
Palate: Zesty lemon flavor, tangy citrus, smooth, mild graininess, refreshing, hint of herbal undertones.
Star Rating: ★★★☆☆
Why We Like It:
Hangar 1 Buddha’s Hand Citron Vodka has a unique process that is made in a former airplane hangar. It’s a quality vodka option for those who like lime vodka or lemon vodka flavor.
Aside from its citrus notes, Hangar 1 has warm notes of pepper, cinnamon, and other spices. Thus, this vodka tastes and blends well with the sweet jello shots.
9. Ketel One Vodka
Average Price: Around $22 for 750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Nose: Clean, subtle sweetness, hints of citrus, faint floral notes, delicate herbal undertones.
Palate: Smooth, mild graininess, subtle creaminess, light citrus zest, gentle vanilla, faint almond.
Star Rating: ★★★☆☆
Why We Like It:
It also has its flavored vodkas, the Ketel One Botanical line-up infused with natural fruit essence: Peach & Orange Blossom, Grapefruit & Rose, and Cucumber & Mint. [1]
10. Chopin Potato Vodka
Average Price: Around $23.99 for 750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Nose: Earthy, subtle potato notes, clean, hints of creaminess, faint mineral undertones.
Palate: Smooth, creamy texture, mild graininess, subtle earthiness, gentle vanilla, delicate almond hints.
Star Rating: ★★★☆☆
Why We Like It:
Chopin Potato Vodka is an awarded potato vodka and is one of the perfect matches for jello shot cups.
It’s distilled from wheat and potatoes, which gives the full-bodied flavor and uniquely creamy taste. Chopin Potato Vodka’s robust character is an excellent selection for a jello shot.
Types of Vodka You Can Use
Plain Vodka
Plain vodka has no taste, but you can sense the cleanliness and smoothness of a purified and distilled spirit.
Its taste is neutral and can blend with many mixers. Tito’s Vodka and Absolut Citron Vodka are plain vodka that are not infused or flavored.
Infused Vodka
Infused vodkas contain ingredients like fruits and herbs like strawberry or blueberry vodka. However, this vodka has a longer production process because of the additional infusion method. The infusion could take about three weeks, and then it is filtered.
Infused vodkas are considered the most sophisticated among all kinds of vodkas, so it is an excellent liquor base for your jello shot.
Flavored Vodka
Flavored vodka uses artificial flavors, like chocolate, whipped cream, bubble gum, vanilla, and lemon vodka. It’s also an ideal vodka if you want to make jello shots with strong flavors.
This type of vodka is not new and dominates the flavored spirits industry. The fame of flavored vodka continuously rises because of its unique flavorings’ versatility.
Choosing The Best Vodka For Jello Shots
Preferred Taste & Flavor
When choosing the best vodka brands, it all depends on your preferred taste and flavor. For a smooth, subtle flavor, you can use plain vodka with flavored jello mix.
However, you can use flavored vodka or infused vodka if you prefer strong fruity flavors like strawberry and apple.
Mixing infused or flavored vodka in your jello shot recipe will give more character and depth of flavor. But how long are jello shots good for?
Alcohol Content
The alcohol content is a vital part of choosing vodka when creating jello shots because it can alter the properties of the gelatin mix.
Alcohol can slow the process of the thickening of gelatin. In the worst scenario, it can stop the gel-forming ability of the jello if there’s too much alcohol content.
Price Point
Making jello shots is not that very expensive. If you’re making it for a huge crowd at a dinner party, consider your budget and the price of vodka.
“In a world full of cocktails, be a vodka jello shot – vibrant, bold, and always the life of the party.”-Liquor Laboratory
You can still find and choose mid-shelf but delicious vodkas for the right price. However, if you have a budget for more sophisticated top-shelf vodka, you can buy one for smoother jello shots.
The Best Vodka Jello Shot Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours and 10 minutes
Ingredients:
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3oz (1 pack) Jello gelatin
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1 cup of boiling water
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½ cup cold water
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½ cup Vodka
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Food coloring (optional)
Instructions:
Boil a cup of water and transfer the boiling water to a mixing bowl. Gradually add the pack of Jello gelatin and mix it until it is completely dissolved. Add the cup of cold water and vodka to the mixing bowl and mix everything with a whisk.
You can put your desired food coloring and mix it, but this is optional. Set up the shot cups on a baking sheet.
Transfer the hot jello mixture to the plastic cups and cover them with the lids. Place the mixture in the fridge and wait for two hours; it is ready to serve after it sets.
Serving: 12
FAQs
Is one cup of vodka too much for jello shots?
Yes, a cup of vodka is too much for jello shots. Usually, one pack of Jello gelatin recipe uses ½ cup of vodka, but you can use up to 2/3 cup at max.
It might not set properly if too much vodka is added because alcohol can interfere with the consistency of gelatin. [2]
Do you have to use vodka in jello shots?
Yes, you have to use vodka in jello shots. Vodka is the most commonly used alcohol when making jello shots.
However, you can use other liquor to substitute vodka in the jello shots recipe. Just make sure to use the correct alcohol ratio when making one.
Do vodka jello shots actually get you drunk?
No, vodka jello shots will not get you drunk because there isn’t much alcohol in each shot.
But an average of 4 jello shots equals one regular shot of vodka [3]. So, if you take way more than that, eventually, it might get you drunk.
What is the best alcohol for jello shots?
Vodka and white rum are the best alcohols for jello shots because they are neutral and will allow Jello-O to shine.
What qualities should I look for in vodka for jello shots?
Look for a vodka that is high-quality, smooth, and relatively inexpensive, as it will be mixed with other ingredients in the jello shot recipe.
Can flavored vodka be used for jello shots?
While flavored vodka can add an extra dimension of flavor to jello shots, it’s essential to choose a flavor that compliments the jello flavor and doesn’t overpower it.
Should I use a specific brand of vodka for jello shots?
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best vodka for jello shots can vary depending on personal preference and availability. However, popular brands known for their smoothness and affordability are often a safe choice.
Does the alcohol content of the vodka matter for jello shots?
Yes, the alcohol content of the vodka can affect the texture and consistency of the jello shots. Opt for a vodka with a standard alcohol content (around 40% ABV) to ensure that the jello sets properly and maintains its shape.
Final Say
Vodka jello shots are a delightful and distinctive treat for intimate gatherings or larger festivities. These vibrant gelatin shots add a playful twist to your party and are surprisingly easy to prepare [4].
Many vodka brands are available in the market, including Russian Vodka, Polish vodka, French vodka, and American vodka.
But the best vodka for jello shots is the New Amsterdam. It is the best choice for making jello shots due to its exceptional smoothness and versatility, ensuring a well-balanced and delightful flavor in every shot.
Also, you can start experimenting and make vodka jello shots with the vodka recommendations we listed above.
References:
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeanneobriencoffey/2019/03/18/ketel-one-makes-flavored-vodka-for-grown-ups/
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https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-avoid-problems-with-gelatin-dessert-baking
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https://www.britannica.com/topic/vodka
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https://www.thespruceeats.com/jell-o-shot-recipe-759711
