Tequila gummy bears

I was 14 when I first heard this song and I had no idea what any of it meant. There were a lot of peoples names, whoever they were. There was a guy at the bar with his drinking team. It was him, Jack Daniels, and his homie Jim Beam. They met some girls called Margarita and Shirley Temple. They were drinking tequila with the lemon and salt, y’all.

Fast forward a few decades and I now have a much better understanding of what they were singing about. I’ve even been a little too well acquainted with some of their friends. So, this recipe is dedicated to the song that is still on rotate all these years later. Tequila gummy bears – heavy on the tequila, light on the salt, making these quite potent.

They are super easy and quick to make. This recipe made around 250 gummy bears so I’d recommend having 4 molds to work with. You’ll also need a candy thermometer if you want to keep the booze factor (see notes). And, if you like these, you might also want to try gin & tonic gummies, prosecco gummies, or Cosmopolitan gummies.

Ingredients

7oz tequila
fresh lime juice, to taste
1/2c sugar
42g powdered gelatin
salt
candy thermometer

Method

Place your molds on a baking sheet (make sure it can fit in your fridge!)
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and gelatin and set aside.
Add the tequila an lime juice (I used 2 tablespoons but it’s up to you) to a small saucepan and heat on a medium-low heat.
Add your candy thermometer and keep an eye on it – you don’t want the temperature going above 100°C (see notes).
Once the mixture is hot (which will happen fairly quickly), pour in the sugar & gelatin and mix well. Keep stirring until they are completely dissolved. The mixture will froth up a bit, that’s ok, it will settle again.
Quickly transfer half of the liquid to a small pouring vessel with a spout and leave it for a minute. This will allow any froth to settle so the gummies aren’t cloudy. Pour into the molds. Use an offset spatula to wipe off any excess mixture.

Add the salt (I used ¼ teaspoon, it’s up to you) to the remaining liquid then transfer it to the jug and pour into the molds.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until firm.
Pop the gummy bears out of the mold and transfer to an airtight zip lock bag. Store in the fridge.

Notes

• Recipe makes about 250 gummy bears.
• If you want to retain the booziness in your gummy bears, the temperature of the mixture must not boil or rise above 100°C.
• If you don’t mind losing some of the alcohol you can let the mixture boil as this will help the sugar and gelatin melt more quickly and evenly.
• I found my molds on trademe.
• It’s best to keep them covered in the fridge or else they will dry out.
• If you have leftover mixture and your molds are full, you can gently heat it in the microwave to liquify it again.

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