Swap Vodka Out For Rum When Making Tropical Jell-O Shots

Fruity, refreshing, and filled with both the "fun" factor and great visual appeal, nothing says "pool party" quite like a mountainous heap of multicolored Jell-O shots. There's not much clarity on the origins of Jell-O shots, but these days, your typical Jell-O shot recipe uses a combination of vodka, water, and — of course — Jell-O mix. While this is how things are usually done, there are no hard-and-fast rules about what goes into one of these shots, especially when you're acting as your own bartender.

Because the taste of vodka is so easily concealed by fruity flavors, many consider it the best type of alcohol for Jell-O shots. But booze doesn't have to be inconspicuous in order to play well with other flavors. If you're looking to take things up a few notches in the flavor department, you might try swapping out vodka for something with a more distinct taste, like rum. Made from sugarcane, rum inherently pairs well with sweet flavors, making it the perfect candidate for tropical Jell-O shots. While using white rum will give you a lighter, brighter taste (and won't alter the color of your Jell-O), using dark or spiced rum can add a distinctly smoky or warm flavor to the shooter.

Now that you've been reminded of who's steering this ship, you might be interested to know that you can change up more than just the booze in your Jell-O shots — you can play around with new flavors, too. Even though there are many flavors of the gelatin mix out there (for your reference, we ranked the 25 most popular Jell-O flavors from worst to best), many folks stick with the most popular varieties — like cherry, orange, grape, lemon, and lime — when making shots. Instead, try pairing your rum with pineapple, apricot, strawberry banana, or watermelon Jell-O.

The flavored Jell-O packet often acts as the sole flavoring agent in these fun-loving shots, but if you're looking to make miniature, edible versions of the tropical cocktails that make you feel like you're at the beach, you don't have to limit yourself to just three ingredients. If you want to make a painkiller shot, for example, try combining rum and pineapple Jell-O with a touch of cream of coconut and sprinkling the finished product with a dusting of nutmeg. Alternatively, try combining two flavors of Jell-O — like lime and watermelon — for a shot with more depth of flavor.