Emmanuel Negro • Boozie Bears

Boozie Bears

Aw, how cute, boozy bears! Yes and no. As adorably innocuous as these guys look, be forewarned: they are strong. You will start feeling all giddy after a few, and eventually, they make you go a little crazy. Slurped them back like jello shots. They’re not quite a shot’s worth each, but almost feel stronger with the sugar factor compounded by the alcohol.

Bring these to a party and you’ll be everyone’s hero.

Ok here we go…

The technique is really simple:

Empty a bag of Gummi Bears into a jar or bowl or some other container with a lid. And they need not even be bears! Really any member of the Gummi Animal Kingdom will do (snakes, sharks, worms, penguins :3). Just make sure there is enough room for them to wiggle and not be too squished together.

Time to select your booze. You could go in many, many directions here. Rum was an obvious choice because, c’mon, Rummy Bears were too good to deny. Let your bar shelf inspire you: try gin, tequila, vodka, Campari, whiskey…

Pour enough liquid over the gummies to completely immerse and cover them, with a little liquid peeking out on top. They’ll suck the liquid up pretty easily. (The best ones tend to be at the bottom ^_^)

How long should they infuse? Many sources suggest three to four days in the fridge. But if you want them faster, let them sitting out on the countertop. After a few hours, their little bear bellies swelled up and they already tasted pretty boozy. Between five to eight hours is the sweet spot to achieve the best squish if you choose the counter route. The bears will lose their firm chew and take on a texture of jiggly Jell-O. They should still be pleasantly squishy, not liquefied. Over-infuse them and they’ll just become a gelatinous mess of bear ooze.

Recipe ideas?

Rummy Bears: White gummies and your favorite rum

Negroni Bears: Orange gummies + Campari + Gin

Aviation Bears: Lemon gummies + Gin + Luxardo Maraschino Liquer (You can add a bit of Creme de Violette if you want)

Old-Fashioned Bears: Cherry gummies + Maker’s Mark Whisky

Hot Teddy: Lemon bears + Whiskey + Honey

Bear Appletinis: Green gummies (or green apple gummies) + Sour Apple Vodka

Bellini Bears: Peach gummies + Cava (or any sparkling wine)

Sangria Bears: Various fruity flavored gummies + Red Wine

Tequila Straw-bearies: Strawberry bears + Tequila

Pisco Bears: Lime gummies + Pisco (Like a pisco sour, in bear form)

Margrita Bears: Lemon and Lime gummies + Tequila + Triple Sec