Jell-O gets another shot at stardom

A mini root beer flavored mug with vanilla foam comes with a handle made from a pretzel. It’s a perfect, salty crunch to complement the spicy soda. One rose-shaped morsel tastes surprisingly similar to the flower itself, thanks to the rose water Micari has mixed in with the gelatin. And a four-layered sriracha shot, which features a squirt of the mouth-burning sauce and fresh cilantro atop strata of pineapple, lime, and coconut milk gelatin, deserves a place on the menu of any Vietnamese restaurant. I sneak two.

Cellphone cameras fly out of pockets when Micari presents his creations to the crowd. As guests jab mini forks into their treats - some have alcohol, some do not - the mood of the party lightens noticeably. Soon it resembles a mix between a 10-year-old’s birthday gathering and a college fraternity party. Jell-O shots tend to do that, Micari says. “People get so joyful about them.’’

And that’s part of the reason Micari starting making gourmet gelatin creations in the first place, right after he moved to Boston in 2008. A biologist by trade, he didn’t know many people in town, so he used his treats as a way to introduce himself. “I figured out that if I’d show up to a party with Jell-O shots, people would talk to me.’’

Around that time, Micari started Gelology (www.gelology.blogspot.com), a blog where he could write about his creations. That led to party requests from friends and even a few catering gigs. Today, Micari has compiled more than 80 recipes and is thinking about ways to go into the business full time.

There may not be a better time to do it, because a gourmet gelatin trend seems to be building around the country. According to Lynne Galia, a company spokeswoman, Kraft Foods has seen an uptick in consumer interest in Jell-O molds and recipes. The company is in the midst of creating “bigger and better’’ molds that will hit the market next year.