Believe it or not, there comes a time in life when you outgrow Jell-O shots, but thanks to Spoonable Spirits, we don’t have to anymore. The alcohol-infused pudding shots are just the kind of grown-up treat Upper East Siders with discerning taste may enjoy— which is why the company has set up shop in Yorkville, opening its first brick and mortar store on the UES.
Spoonable Spirits is well known for its pop-ups around the tri-state area, selling out hundreds of their small jars of boozy sweetness wherever they travel— promoting the benefits of ‘spooning’ along the way.
This summer you’ll find Spoonable Spirits’ two ounce pudding and jelly shots— featuring 5% alcohol by volume— at the Bronx Night Market, the Hudson Valley Seafood and Wine Festival and the PureWow Summer Social in the Hamptons.
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Thankfully, you won’t need to travel outside the UES to sample Spoonable Spirits anymore— the company is in the midst of a soft opening for its first store, located at 214 East 85th Street #1B, between Second and Third Avenues, however, hours are limited.
Spoonable Spirits is the brain child of Kelli Lipson, a native New Yorker who cut her teeth in the industry working with chef and author Sandra Lee at Food Network.
“There was like cupcake after cupcake coming in the door for for birthdays and events,” Ms. Lipson told to Upper East Site.
That got her thinking, “there’s got to be something better.”
Founded in 2018, Lipson says Spoonable Spirits was inspired by the fun times she— and many of us— had in college, but elevated the experience for those of us who are ‘adulting’ nowadays.
“When I was going to Bucknell [University], I used to always make Jell-O shots and say ‘why aren’t there more ways to make Jell-O shots?’ Lipson explained.
“Then, I just started making pudding shots too and they really caught on.”
Lipson came up with the business idea for Spoonable Spirits while pursuing an MBA at Columbia University and has run with the highly-Instagrammable phenomenon.
The cozy new shop on East 85th Street features a display case filled with dozens of the tiny jars featuring pudding flavors like ‘Rum N Cookie,’ ‘Vodka Cake Shake’ and ‘Choco Caramel Whiskey.’
“You can taste the alcohol,” Lipson said, but “it’s not too strong, so if you hate whiskey, you still might like chocolate caramel whiskey [pudding shot].”
You can also get a more traditional jelly shot— just don’t call it Jell-O– in grown up flavors like ‘Sex on the Beach,’ ‘Cran Cosmo,’ and ‘Rosé.’
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There is also a non-alcoholic version of ‘Party Cake’ pudding available for those seeking a spirit-free spoonable jar of pudding.
On the walls you’ll find a series of photos of the Spoonable Spirits team hard at work making people smile at events, as well as the motto that team lives by, ‘spooning always leads to something good.’
This week, the shop will open Wednesday and Thursday from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm, though hours will fluctuate throughout the summer– check their Instagram for the weekly schedule.
As Spoonable Spirits says, ‘proof is in the pudding,’ so to enjoy a pudding shot responsibly, you must be at least 21 years old.
They are also available for shipping nationwide.
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