Pastry chef Jena Derman was playing with jelly cakes in 2020 when she realized she needed a drink guy to help her. So she reached out to mixologist Jack Schramm, whose resume runs through New York bars like Booker & Dax and Existing Conditions. The first meeting went like this: Derman said, “We gotta add booze to these,” and Schramm agreed. The result was Solid Wiggles, a Brooklyn shop now pouring cocktails into jelly and partnering with the LA Clippers.
The Jelly Shot Formula
Solid Wiggles starts with a base maker, where a clear liquid gets poured into a pan and chilled until it sets. That top layer is the clarified lemon, sugar, vodka, and gelatin that becomes a finished shot. The shop has 13 flavors on its menu, rotating about two or three times a year.
Schramm says the super-high-ABV cocktails don’t work because the flavor is just booze, and the texture doesn’t hold up. Citrus and tropical flavors fare better. The Lychee Martini is huge. The shop’s Aperitivo Spritz swaps in the Faccia Brutto Aperitivo for Aperol, and Schramm says they love supporting local businesses.
Custom Work and Flavor Firsts
The shop does plenty of custom work for liquor brands and perfume brands, which pushes it outside its comfort zone. Fernet-Branca wanted a Forghetti, a Borghetti espresso liqueur and Fernet combination. That didn’t work as a jelly shot on its own, but R&D turned it into a Forghetti Tonic with a little citrus.
The shop also added a savory item recently, using a brine that works well in the jelly format. “It’s cool to have a semi-savory item on the menu, and it’s delicious,” Schramm says. The tonic-based clear base was a big unlock, allowing flavors that wouldn’t otherwise sit.
Decorating the Shots
The injection station is where the shots get their final touches. Workers use an X-Acto knife and ruler to make straight cuts, then fill in with a syringe of milk jelly. Specialized syringe tips shaped like petals or leaves create the intricate patterns. Everything is done by hand.
The bottom layer adds the secondary flavor. In the Lychee Martini, it’s lychee juice and Cap Corse Blanc. In the shop’s other signature shot, it’s cranberry juice and the Faccia Brutto Aperitivo. The ratio is loosely 2-to-1 base to modifier.
Production Numbers
Solid Wiggles produces around 90 trays a week, which works out to about 7,200 shots. The shop also turns out 15 to 20 cakes a week, though Schramm says people want the shots every day. The shop operates four days a week with two full-time employees and a driver who handles stocking and inventory.
Sales break down roughly 45 percent to bars and restaurants, 20 percent direct-to-customer, and 35 percent catering. The LA Clippers partnership means the shots are available in the arena’s VIP area, a win for two basketball fans.
Seasonal Flavors
For a long time, Halloween was the shop’s biggest holiday, with lots of eyeball shots. Last year, the winter holidays overtook it. The shop is making a Cosmo with amaro added for that warming winter spice, and it has also done a scotch and spiced cranberry.
Tasters often expect sweet Jell-O, but Solid Wiggles is high-acid. “It’s a totally night and day experience,” Schramm says. The shop’s shots are a jiggly treat that also works as a work of fine art.
Comparing the Shop’s Sales Channels
| Channel | Share of Total Sales |
|---|---|
| Bars and Restaurants | 45 percent |
| Direct-to-Customer | 20 percent |
| Catering | 35 percent |
What Works and What Doesn’t
The shop has a clear sense of what flavors land and what flops. High-ABV drinks don’t work because the flavor is just booze. The shop added a savory item using the right brine. Classic cocktails and original creations that work in jelly format get the green light.
The Lychee Martini is huge. The Aperitivo Spritz is always popular.
The Full Process
The full production cycle takes three days, done in stages. The base sets overnight. The shots get decorated by hand. They’re sliced, boxed, and shipped out. The shop manages the whole process from Brooklyn.
Solid Wiggles is a small operation with a precise workflow. The team knows exactly what it’s doing, and the numbers back it up.
The Bottom Line
Solid Wiggles is a delightful niche. Pastry meets cocktails meets jelly, and the LA Clippers partnership proves the concept travels. The shop has found its lane, and it’s producing at scale without losing the handmade touch.
The shots are a jiggly treat, but they’re also a serious drink. That’s the trick Solid Wiggles pulls off.
Key Facts Box
- Flavors: 13 on the menu, rotating every two to three years
- Weekly production: 90 trays, about 7,200 shots; 15 to 20 cakes
- Sales split: 45 percent bars/restaurants, 20 percent direct, 35 percent catering
- LA Clippers: Partner selling shots in the arena’s VIP area
- Winter flavors: Cosmo with amaro, scotch and spiced cranberry
The shop’s rotating flavors, ranked by success:
- Citrus-driven flavors
- Tropical flavors
- Classic cocktails
- Original creations
- Savory items
The shop’s core formula is simple: a clear base, a secondary flavor layer, and a hand-painted finish. The math behind it is just as exact.
Source material: “Day Trip: Solid Wiggles,” Imbibe.
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