In 2020, pastry chef Jena Derman was experimenting with jelly cakes, so she tapped mixologist Jack Schramm for his technique-driven cocktail experience from New York bars like Booker & Dax and Existing Conditions. “The first time we met up, I said, ‘We gotta add booze to these,’” says Schramm. The result was Solid Wiggles, purveyor of craft jelly shots and boozy cakes that are as much a work of fine art as they are a jiggly treat.
9:30 a.m.
We arrive at our Brooklyn production facility and tackle any orders that need to ship out that morning. Then we look at orders for the next two weeks and decide what needs to be produced. We have two full-time employees, operating four days a week, and a driver who helps with stocking and inventory. In terms of total sales, it’s around 45 percent to bars and restaurants, 20 percent direct-to-customer, and 35 percent catering. A new partnership we’re very excited about is the LA Clippers—they’re selling our shots in the VIP area of the arena. We’re big basketball fans, so it’s huge for us.
11 a.m.
Production happens at three stations concurrently. The first station is the base maker, producing the liquid that gets poured into a pan and goes into the fridge to set. It’s the top, perfectly clear layer—for example, the clarified lemon, sugar, vodka, and gelatin that will become a Lychee Martini. We have 13 flavors on the menu, which we change about two or three times a year. It’s a combo of classic cocktails and original creations—things that work well in jelly format. The super high-ABV cocktails don’t work because the flavor is just booze, so we can’t do things like an Old Fashioned or a Dry Gin Martini. People are always asking for Espresso Martinis, but the texture isn’t nice—rich creaminess doesn’t translate. The flavors that are really successful are citrus-driven or tropical. The Margarita is a perennial classic. Our Strawberry Daiquiri is really having a moment. The Lychee Martini is huge. Our Aperitivo Spritz is always popular—it’s an Aperol Spritz but we sub in the Faccia Brutto Aperitivo because it’s great and we love to support other local businesses.
1 p.m.
We do lots of custom work for companies like liquor brands or perfume brands. It pushes us outside our comfort zone to create new flavors. Fernet-Branca wanted a Forghetti, which is Borghetti espresso liqueur and Fernet as a shot. On its head, that doesn’t work as a jelly. But we did some R&D and made a Forghetti & Tonic, with a little bit of citrus. We’re always unlocking something, creating space both mentally and within the operation. We recently added some flavors that were a little outside our normal sphere, like a Gin & Tonic; being able to use the tonic as a clear base was a big unlock. We also added a Dirty Martini because we found a brine that is really successful in this application. It’s cool to have a semi-savory item on the menu, and it’s delicious.
3 p.m.
The injection station is where everything gets decorated. We might use an X-Acto knife and a ruler to make straight cuts, and follow that with a syringe of milk jelly. Or we use specialized syringe tips that are shaped like petals or leaves to make the intricate patterns. It’s all done by hand. Then we pour the bottom layer, which is also the secondary flavor layer, so any of the cocktail’s modifying ingredients. In the Lychee Martini, we use lychee juice and Cap Corse Blanc; in our Cosmo, it’s cranberry juice and the Faccia Brutto Aperitivo. It’s loosely a 2-to-1 ratio of base to modifier. We produce around 90 trays weekly, which is about 7,200 shots, and then usually 15 to 20 cakes per week. We love making the cakes, but they’re more for special occasions. People want the shots every day.
5 p.m.
The last step is to unmold, slice, and box everything. The full process doesn’t take a ton of time, but it’s spread over three days because we do it in stages. For a long time, Halloween was our biggest holiday—we make so many eyeball shots—but then last year the winter holidays overtook it. For flavors, we’re making a Cosmo with the addition of amaro for that warming winter spice. We’ve also done a scotch and spiced cranberry. I think most folks are surprised when they taste Solid Wiggles for the first time because they’re not used to Jell-O being high acid; it’s usually so sweet. With ours, it’s a totally night and day experience.
