It was 11pm at our beach shack the other night, and my mom had an idea.

She came down to visit us at the beach and, conveniently, brought all the ingredients to make vodka Jello shots with her. She was on a mission, and we weren’t going to rest until it was realized. We tried to make them for a few nights, but kept getting distracted (hello ADHD mom and ADHD son), but finally, at almost midnight (of all times), we decided to just go for it. And I’m so glad we did. Besides the already-kind-of-funny idea of making Jello shots with my mom, it was so fun to be crammed into our little beach shack kitchen with her cooking, or whatever you call making Jello is. Mixing? Regardless, I found myself cherishing this moment with her. We don’t get to be in the kitchen together as much as I would like, and it was definitely a highlight of this trip for me.

I had never made Jello shots before (though I have consumed quite a few in my time), but they’re super easy and extremely yummy. We used the strawberry flavored Jello, but you can, of course, use whatever your favorite flavor is.

Here’s what you’re going to need…

Ingredients

2 cups boiling water
1 (6 oz) box Jell-O (any flavor)
1 cup cold water
1 cup vodka (or another liquor like rum, tequila, or flavored vodka)
2 oz plastic cups (bonus if they have lids)

Instructions:

Boil water: Bring 2 cups of water to a rolling boil.
Mix in Jell-O: In a mixing bowl, whisk the Jello powder into the boiling water until fully dissolved (at least 2 minutes).
Add alcohol: Stir in 1 cup cold water and 1 cup vodka. (If you want them stronger, you can pour in a little more alcohol, but they won’t set as firmly.)
Pour into containers: Use 2 oz plastic condiment cups (with lids if prepping ahead). Pour mixture evenly using a spouted measuring cup or funnel.
Chill to set: Refrigerate for 2–4 hours or until firm. Don’t freeze, as Jello gets weird when frozen.
Enjoy!

These weren’t too strong, but we definitely started feeling them after two or three. These were especially fun at the beach! We loved popping a few before walking down to the beach. We will definitely be making these a staple during our beach trips from now on.