Let's talk Jell-O shots
Kevin's comment about the lewdly named Jell-O shots at Lil' Phil's got me thinking. We've never really discussed Jell-O shots on Midnight Sun. Why is that?
If I remember correctly (and I don't always remember correctly when Jell-O shots are involved), the only time I've ever had Jell-O shots at a Baltimore bar was the Light Street Station episode. That's when the pregnant bartender offered my friends and me Jell-O shots. She even told us the proper way to consume them:
"All you do is lick, slurp and suck," she said ...
Jell-O shots are exotic. That's part of their appeal. Also, they are almost always a surprise. You rarely suspect Jell-O shots, until a server brings around a big tray of them. How many other drinks are randomly delivered?
Bars benefit bigtime from Jell-O shots, too. There is no way for the customers to know how much liquor is in the shots, which means the bartenders really don't have to put much in there. Jell-O itself is so cheap and easy to make that it can't cost that much. And yet, Jell-O shots are always like $1 a piece, right? By my calculations, that's a pretty large profit margin.
Depending on how many you have (and how potent they are), Jell-O shots can be disastrous. They're so tasty, which means it's easy to knock back a few at once. All of the sudden, the room is wobbling like a big plate of --- well, you know.
I've been The Baltimore Sun's nightlife and local entertainment reporter for a couple years, and it's surprising how much the scene has grown in that time. Most of Baltimore's bars and clubs are unpretentious places with fairly cheap drinks and plenty of character. I like dancing and think this city needs more clubs, but nothing beats having a cold, locally brewed beer with friends in a comfortably full corner bar.
Comments
Dude. Walt's Inn right off the square in Canton.
I asked the bartender what flavor jello shots they have: "Red and Blue."
Ok.
Well, after I slurped them down I realized why she did not offer a real flavor. The red and the blue ones both taste exactly like Banker's Club.
Posted by: Jay in Fells Point | November 12, 2009 11:07 AM
No. Let's not.
Let's talk real ale instead. Or Belgian beer. Or mead. Or sake. Anything but gelatin shots.
Posted by: Alexander D. Mitchell IV | November 12, 2009 11:27 AM
whomp whomp ADM IV.
nothing like jello shots for those nights you intend to forget before they've even begun, haha.
however, i DO NOT like those jello shots that come in those giant syringe type things at some bars. just a little too creepy for me.
Posted by: kateebee | November 12, 2009 11:41 AM
Jello shots are my FAVORITE shot of all time. I actually wish more bars sold them!!!
Walts is the only place in Bmore that I know sells them on a regular basis.
Posted by: Ashley | November 12, 2009 12:43 PM
Bleh!
What night (or day or afternoon) that involved Jello shots ever ended well or could be recalled? This, Sam, is why they are not discussed. ;-)
Posted by: Deborah | November 12, 2009 12:56 PM
I am not a jello shot person, I am an ale/quality beer person like ADM IV.
But one time in New Orleans I was at a bar and there was a long line of guys in line for shots they called "blow jobs." I got in line like the rest of the sheep. It was simply a smoking hot female bartender who would put a jello blob into a tube. She would put one end in her mouth and the guy would put the other end in his. She would then blow the shot down your throat. (New tube for each guy at least). Yes, guys will do anything with a scantily clad hot chick involved! But that is the first and last time I have had a jello shot.
Posted by: Mikepcfl | November 12, 2009 12:58 PM
Overlea Station has them for a buck a piece. Jello shots are great -- alcohol and a meal all rolled into one. Perfect for drunks who forget to eat when the drink.
Posted by: lisawise | November 12, 2009 1:29 PM
I don't care what anyone says, jello shots are fun and if you get really creative with them, can be an awesome way to deliver some alkeehol to your system. I recently made some pina colada jello shots with bits of pineapple and shredded coconut in them, they were pretty awesome. If more places served even remotely interesting jello shots (other than red or blue) I'd probably be in the market.
Posted by: Evan | November 12, 2009 1:40 PM
I don't know that they even need to be fancy jello shots, although the pina colada ones sound great. I think they'd be popular anywhere if they got served with more regularity.
Posted by: Josh | November 12, 2009 1:46 PM
i was at Howl at the Moon last weekend, and they have jello shots in gigantic syringes, which looked...."appetizing", to say the least.
Also, there's a great website for making your own in ridiculous amounts or varying degrees of strength.
http://www.myscienceproject.org/j-shot.html
Posted by: Allan | November 12, 2009 2:08 PM
Amen, on the more interesting jello shots. A friend of mine made pumpkin (or maybe they were just orange, i don't know if they actually make pumpkin jello) jello shots with little dollops of whipped cream on them for Halloween.
I think I may have just themed my next party... nothing but crazy, fun jello shots. The recipie experimenting should be pretty fun too!
Posted by: kateebee | November 12, 2009 2:19 PM
Stop this madness!!! Stop this epidemic of college house party novelties and games from infiltrating bars!!! Yes, Jell-O are fun (however, far from exotic). Of course a game of beer pong is amusing. But do I want these things in my bar? Hell no. The last thing I want is to walk into a bar a feel like it's a Sigma Phi Epsilon house.
Posted by: darthtater | November 12, 2009 2:43 PM
Jell-O reminds me of various other Blasts From My Past, such as Gak, Floam and Slime.
Posted by: Sam Sessa | November 12, 2009 3:43 PM
I once had a party in college and made a ton of Jello shots. The next day there were about 1/3rd left in the fridge. So I decided to take care of that.
Some time travel later from all the Jello, I can never go back to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Curse you, Jello Shots.
Posted by: JTK | November 12, 2009 5:36 PM
"Lick, slurp, and suck.." Reading your article got me all hot and bothered. Say, check out my home page at Examiner.com for more bar related tomfoolery...
Posted by: robertestahl@gmail.com | November 13, 2009 11:26 AM
Selling jello shots at college parties always made a huge profit. One time we ran out of the small shot glasses and resorted to 16 oz cups...thus inventing the 'Jell-O-bomb'. At $5 a piece kids bought 'em like hot cakes. Served with a spoon of course.
Posted by: frat guy | November 13, 2009 4:35 PM
First time participant, and it's to the post about Jello shots. Huh.
Anyway, ADM IV, are you real? I think it's safe to say that anyone reading Midnight Sun would prefer a "real ale" to a "gelatin" shot (those who prefer jello shots also prefer TMZ to Midnight Sun), but lighten up! There are hundreds of blogs for beer geeks and pub snobs, but this is a blog about night life, and for juuust about everybody this includes a regrettable jello shot or two once or twice a year.
Posted by: StevieB | November 13, 2009 4:48 PM
Am I real? As real as the real ale I sipped eagerly last night at the Brewers Art!
And Sam, you missed your chance: Here was the beer in question, straight from a firkin:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/12142/43168
Posted by: Alexander D. Mitchell IV | November 13, 2009 6:02 PM