Doritos Crafts Nacho Cheese Hard Liquor Made Out Of Its Chips

Images via Empirical

Doritos has concocted something that’s nacho average snack. Teaming up with Delaware-based Empirical Spirits, the brand has introduced its own liquor, the Empirical x Doritos Nacho Cheese Spirit.

The heady beverage is clear but is chock full of savory nacho cheese flavor, crunching the essence of Dorito chips into every sip.

Empirical Spirits was established in Copenhagen in 2017 by Lars Williams, a former chef at the renowned restaurant Noma, and Mark Emil Hermansen, and is famed for its unconventional approach to crafting spirits. Their journey into snack-flavored spirits began with an experiment by Williams using Doritos, which remarkably led to a spirit mimicking the flavor of Doritos chips. When PepsiCo executives visited Empirical, they were enamored with this creation, and the idea to commercialize it was born.

Image via PepsiCo Design & Innovation / PR Newswire

True to its inspiration, the spirit is crafted using actual Doritos chips, with a keen focus on authentically replicating the snack’s flavor profile. The result is a spirit that opens with the umami and tangy notes of nacho cheese, transitioning to the deeper, corn-forward flavors reminiscent of Doritos, and culminating in a soft, salty finish.

Image via Empirical

Image via Empirical

Making this spirit especially crisp is the brewer’s unique vacuum distillation technique, which operates at lower temperatures compared to traditional methods, allowing for a maximized preservation of delicate flavors that might otherwise be lost. This method also involves making several cuts during the distillation process, which are then artfully blended to capture the Doritos chip’s distinctive taste.

Image via Empirical

Oozing out of this collaboration are some creative cocktail recipes that highlight the iconic Doritos Nacho Cheese flavor. These include twists on classics like the Old Fashioned, a Bloody Mary, and even a Margarita, all infused with the essence of nacho cheese.

Image via Empirical

The Empirical x Doritos Nacho Cheese Spirit, boasting a 42% alcohol by volume content and available in 750ml bottles, is priced at US$65. It will hit the online shelves on December 13 on the Empirical Spirits website, and will also be available in select markets in New York and California. For snackers and spirit aficionados alike, this tipple is set to intoxicate.

[via Forbes, Fox Business, Food & Wine, images via various sources]