Dirty Shirley Jello Shots: A Grown Up Cocktail

Name: Dirty Shirley Jello Shots: A Grown Up Cocktail
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 10 - 14 serving(s)
Ingredients: 2 limes; 3/4 c. vodka; Pinch of kosher salt; 14 maraschino cherries with stems, drained; 3-oz. box Cherry Jell-O; 1 c. boiling water; 1/2 cup lemon-lime soda (Sprite or 7UP), chilled; 2 tbsp. grenadine

These boozy Shirley Temple jello shots are sweet, citrusy, and perfectly playful for Galentine's Day or girls' night.

By Susan ChoungPublished: Feb 8, 2026

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assorted small cups of red gelatin with cherries on a pink surface.

Good Housekeeping / Jillian Sollazzo

Yields:

10 - 14 serving(s)

Active Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

4 hrs

Cute, fun, and a little dangerous, these boozy Shirley Temple jello shots are perfect for Galentine’s, girls’ night, or any gathering where you want something playful that still tastes like a real cocktail. Maraschino cherries are soaked in vodka with fresh lime zest and juice. That infused vodka is then mixed into cherry Jell-O with lemon-lime soda and just enough grenadine for color. The result is bright and citrus-forward, sweet but never cloying.

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Ingredients

2 limes
3/4 cup vodka
Pinch of kosher salt
14 maraschino cherries with stems, drained
3-oz. box Cherry Jell-O
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup lemon-lime soda (Sprite or 7UP), chilled
2 Tbsp. grenadine

Directions

1. Step 1Using a vegetable peeler, remove strips of zest from one lime and place in a jar. Squeeze in 2 tablespoons lime juice. Stir in vodka and salt. Add cherries, cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to 12 hours. (The longer the soak, the boozier the cherries.)
2. Step 2When cherries are ready, pour Jell-O packet into 4-cup liquid measuring cup, add the boiling water, and stir until completely dissolved. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes so it’s warm, not hot (this keeps the alcohol from evaporating).
3. Step 3Meanwhile, measure 1/2 cup of the infused vodka into a liquid measuring cup and stir in soda and grenadine (any remaining infused vodka can be used in another cocktail). Discard lime zest from jar and set cherries aside.
4. Step 4
  Stir vodka mixture into Jell-O mixture and divide among jello shot cups, placed on a small tray or sheet pan. Refrigerate until Jell-O just begins to set, 45 to 55 minutes (depending on how full your cups are). This makes it easier for the cherries to stay in place.
5. Step 5Add a reserved maraschino cherry to each cup, very gently nestling them in so the stems are upright and refrigerate until fully set at least 3 hours.