Who doesn't love jello shots?

Jell-O is a childhood favorite. It's a staple in hospitals and on Chinese Buffets. A million recipes have been created using the fruit-flavored, gelatinous, protein, boiled animal skins and bones. AND at some point in time, some smart cookie added alcohol to the Jell-O, poured it into small cups and it became an easy way for a server to make some extra coin at bars and nightclubs as the Jell-O Shot. In the 80's, at the Edmonton bars I frequented like Denny Andrew's, Barry T's, Goose Loonies, The Thunderdome, Ezmerelda's, Club Malibu, Cook County, etc. Jell-O shots were THE thing! Cheap enough for someone to buy a round for a group or a guy to buy for a girl he liked.
​Funny story that just came to mind... in those days, Drivers Licenses, Government IDs, even library cards were sent out to be laminated. Most companies did not own laminators. My mom just so happened to work for a laminating firm called Photo Ident. Well, Photo Ident just also happened to do all the VIP cards for all the big name Nightclubs in town. My mom was pretty awesome! I was everyone's best friend, bypassing all the long lineups with my Fake-but-Real VIP cards!!! I digress....back to the topic....these bars in the 80s made a killing from Jell-O Shots. I can't even guess how many Jell-O shots I have had in my lifetime. When I had my bar in Edmonton, Na Zdorovya Ukrainian Pub, on special occasions we would make blue and yellow vodka Jell-O shots. One of my favorite memories occurred at at 'The Hall' (Ukrainian Youth Unity Complex in Edmonton) at one Malanka (Ukrainian New Years) night when my Baba and her best buddy Pani Iwanyshyn did Jell-O shots with me and a friend James. 
Over the years, my attendance at nightclubs has seen a sharp decline as has my enjoyment of Jell-O shots. Every once in a while though, I revive the tradition. One revival in 2014, with my side gig with NYR Organic, a consultant of mine earned the Suite room at our Summer Conference in Phoenix. We invited over a number of the representatives that came from the Head Office in London, UK for pre-dinner cocktails. Since we had a full kitchen at our disposal we decided to make a fun treat, and earlier in the day filled a Watermelon with Jell-O and Vodka. Sliced it up and served it to the unsuspecting Brits. The theme song I played while serving the treats was the Watermelon Crawl. I think a video exists somewhere of the dance I came up with as well. Needless to say, the Director of  the company had 5 slices!!! Since then I have recreated the Watermelon Jell-O Shots a few more times. Most notably at Bandura camp and the latest was for our July 1, 2021 Canada Day celebration. This time, because we had some minors attending I made a boozy version for the adults and a kid-friendly version sans vodka!
After posting the pics on social media I had a flurry of requests for the recipe. I used an online recipe myself but found it was too small of a supply for a large watermelon. So I redid it for YOUR next event! Luckily, we have leftovers, so we will have Jell-O shots in a few days on the 4th of July. Happy Independence Day and don't Drink and Drive!!!
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This recipe below will fill half a large watermelon. I doubled it because I knew the kids at the party would also want some once they saw the adults having Jell-O. So before I added the vodka, I filled one of the halves with the nonalcoholic Jell-O mix. Then, I added the vodka to what was left and then poured it into the other half. Be sure you mark which one is alcoholic and keep them separated so the kids don’t get mixed up (and so you don’t get mixed up in the fridge and have to sample both! ) I put the adult one on the bar, and the kids one on the dessert table and labeled them appropriately.

McD's WATERMELON VODKA JELLO SHOT SLICES
Ingredients and supplies to fill half a large watermelon:

• 16 oz. watermelon Jell-O (I used 4 big boxes of the Sonic Brand that I bought at Walmart)
• 6 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
• 4 Cups boiling water
• 3 cups chilled watermelon flavored vodka (I didn’t have watermelon flavored vodka, I used bubblegum flavored)
• 1 watermelon (mine was a big one, if you use a smaller one you’ll obviously use less Jell-O, and you’ll obviously have less slices!)
• Large measuring cup
• Large mixing bowl
• Whisk
• A big knife not serrated
• Metal ladle, ice cream scoop or spoon
• Cookie sheet or a bowl to put the watermelon half in so it doesn’t wobble around. You can put paper towels around it so that it doesn’t wobble.
• Someone to eat all the watermelon you’re going to scoop out or you’re going to need another bowl to put it in the fridge!

 

1. Make a huge space in the fridge especially if you’re doing two halves. Cut the watermelon in half lengthwise. Scoop out the watermelon. I used a big metal ladle. You can also use an ice cream scoop or a spoon. Dry out the inside of the watermelon with a paper towel. Put the halved watermelon in the refrigerator empty. Prop it up with the paper towels so it won’t roll around. Trust me here, because carrying a heavy watermelon on a tray filled with liquid Jell-O is hard!
2. Mix your dry boxes of jello with the packets of unflavored gelatin.
3. Add in the boiling water and stir until dissolved.
4. Once dissolved, you can stop here for the non-alcoholic version and pour it into the halved watermelon or for the boozy version, add in the vodka and stir to combine.
5. Pour the liquid into the halved watermelon (fill to the top!) that you placed into the fridge for 3-4 hours until the jello is set. I made mine the day before and once it was set I covered it in saran wrap.
6. I sliced it upright as I was worried if I turned it upside down it might fall out. I also sliced them fairly thick because the thinner they are the wobblier they are. Each slice I cut into threes. I got about 15 slices out of each watermelon half.
7. To serve, place them flat on a tray not layered on top of each other or upright as they can bend over and the Jell-O can crack.
8. Enjoy!

I bought little mini chocolate chips to put in to make it look like seeds, and I forgot to do that. I was planning on setting an alarm and putting them in once the liquid had cooled down a little bit and it had started to set somewhat. It was still fabulous without the chocolate chips.
There are other recipes online. Just search ‘sliced watermelon Jell-O’. There’s these little cute ones made in a lime half. Also be aware each Jell-O slice is like a shot of vodka. They catch up to you if you have more than one slice! Drink/Eat Responsibly!

James, Baba, Pani Iwanyshyn and me at Malanka in Edmonton late 90s

Phoenix, NYR Conference, 2014

Getting ready to do the Watermelon Crawl in Phoenix

Bobriwka Bandura Camp gets some Watermelon slices

My dear friend Olya loves my inventions!