If you’ve ever eaten a Dorito and wished you could drink it, well, now’s your chance.
The popular chip company has answered a question that we are frankly flabbergasted anyone would ask: Why not make an alcohol infused with the flavors of a Dorito?
Doritos and drink company Empirical announced a collaboration on Dec. 12 that they’re calling a “nacho cheese spirit.”
In a joint press release, the companies said the drink was made by using real Doritos chips and extracting their “essence through vacuum distillation.”
“Unlike traditional distillation methods, vacuum distillation operates at lower temperatures, preserving the full spectrum of flavors derived from Doritos,” the release said.
The Empirical x Doritos Nacho Cheese Spirit doesn’t fall into traditional categories of gin or vodka.
“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,” Lars Williams, the chef/distiller and CEO of Empirical said in the release. “And we can take something that has a unique and amazing flavor, like Doritos, and evolve it into something completely new.”
How does it taste?
The release says the drink features flavors of “Nacho Cheese, corn tostada, umami, (and a) hint of acidity.”
It tastes like “the real thing,” the companies claim.
“The spirit opens with umami and tangy aromas of nacho cheese, moving to the deeper, corn-forward flavors of the chip to finish on a soft salty note,” the release said, seemingly without a hint of irony, adding it can be enjoyed neat or over ice.
On Dec. 22, Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager sampled the drink on TODAY.
While they were both hesitant to take a sip, they were pleasantly surprised by its taste.
At first, Jenna, a known queso enthusiast, said she wasn’t getting the Doritos flavor — but then it hit her in the aftertaste. Her eyes lit up.
“Shall I say I like it?” Jenna asked Hoda.
“I think you shall,” Hoda responded, matter-of-factly.
“It turns out Doritos are great in liquid form!” Jenna proclaimed.
The company provided several drink recipes, too, including variations on a margarita, bloody mary and old fashioned.
Bottles of the unique drink will be available next month for a suggested retail price of $65. The spirit has 42% ABV and will be for sale in select New York and California markets.
Preorders, which began Dec. 13, can be placed at doritos.x.empirical.co.
