America’s favorite tortilla chip is now available in booze form.
On Tuesday, Doritos announced its collaboration with flavor company Empirical: Empirical x Doritos Nacho Cheese Spirit. According to the brands, the snack-flavored spirit tastes and smells just like the beloved corn chip, delivering savory umami, corn tostada, and nacho cheese notes with a hint of acidity.
“Doritos is all about disrupting culture and bringing our fans unexpected, bold experiences,” said Tina Mahal, senior vice president of marketing for Frito-Lay North America in a press release. “We’re always pushing our fans to try new things, so we figure it’s time we disrupt the spirits category by offering our iconic nacho cheese flavor in a bottle.”
According to the release, the spirit — made from a pilsner malt distillate base — was crafted using Empirical’s unique production process: flavors were extracted from real Doritos Nacho Cheese chips before undergoing low-temperature vacuum distillation to preserve the chips’ flavor profile.
“Empirical is an ‘uncategorized’ spirits company, so it allows us the freedom to experiment with really interesting flavors and not have to be stuck in a gin box or tequila box or whiskey box,” says Lars Williams, chef, distiller, and CEO of Empirical in the release. “We can take something that has a unique and amazing flavor, like Doritos, and evolve it into something completely new.”
Bottled at 42 percent ABV, the limited-edition Empirical x Doritos Nacho Cheese Spirit will be available in select New York and California markets beginning next month at a suggested retail price of $65. Additionally, bottles will be available for sale at doritos.x.empirical.co with preorder starting December 13.
