Prep your 8x8 pan: lightly grease it with a neutral oil/spray. Optional insurance: cut 1 piece of parchment paper to cover the bottom of the pan plus overhang on 2 sides. Lightly grease the parchment as well. Set aside.

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the cold water and let bloom for 5 minutes.

In a small saucepan, warm the lychee juice, sugar, and lime juice over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the bloomed gelatin and stir until fully dissolved. Do not boil.

Remove from heat and stir in vodka and vermouth.

Through a strainer, pour ⅓ of the jello mixture into the pan. Chill for about 15 minutes in the fridge until just beginning to set.

Arrange cherries/lychees evenly in a grid, spacing them about ½” apart. Very gently nestle them into the jello just so they stay in place.

Little hack: use some tape to create a grid across the top of the pan to keep stems in place (if needed/your cherries are going rogue).

Pour the remaining liquid into the pan. Refrigerate until fully set, at least 4 hours.

To unmold: warm the bottom of pan with hot water for a few seconds. Gently go along the sides of the slab with a knife.

If using parchment, you should be able to gently pull the slab out at this point. If not using parchment, carefully tilt the slab out after running a knife along the edges.

Using a large sharp knife, apply even pressure to cleanly trim all four sides. Do not use a sawing motion.

Slice into even cubes, using the cherries as guidance. You may need to trim some cubes to make them the same size, that’s okay - enjoy those scraps.

Serve on a platter!