Empirical Distills and Releases New Doritos Nacho Cheese Spirit

Posted on by Scott Dilley

Collaboration Imbues Iconic Nacho Cheese Flavor of Doritos Into a First-of-Its-Kind Distilled Spirit

Doritos has unveiled a collaboration with global flavor innovator Empirical: Empirical x Doritos® Nacho Cheese Spirit. This limited-release offers a multi-sensorial, delicious beverage experience that smells and tastes just like the real thing – bringing the iconic flavor of Doritos Nacho Cheese Chips into the spirits aisle.

Doritos is all about disrupting culture and bringing our fans unexpected, bold experiences. 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.

Tina Mahal, SVP Marketing Frito-Lay North America

The partnership marks a first-of-a-kind innovation for both brands and brings fans a truly new experience. To create the flavor, the many flavor layers of Doritos Nacho Cheese are extracted through Empirical’s innovative production process, using real Doritos chips and retaining their essence through vacuum distillation. Unlike traditional distillation methods, vacuum distillation operates at lower temperatures, preserving the full spectrum of flavors derived from Doritos.

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. And we can take something that has a unique and amazing flavor, like Doritos, and evolve it into something completely new.

Lars Williams, Chef/Distiller & CEO, Empirical

Limited-edition bottles of Empirical x Doritos Nacho Cheese Spirit will be available next month for a suggested retail price of $65.00(42% ABV, 750ml) online and in select New Yorkand California markets. Pre-orders begin December 13, 2023 at doritos.x.empirical.co. For more information, visit empirical.co and follow along @doritos.

TASTING NOTES: Empirical x Doritos® Nacho Cheese Spirit

  • Flavor: Nacho Cheese, corn tostada, umami, hint of acidity.
  • Enjoy: In a Margarita, Bloody Mary, Old Fashioned, neat or over ice, or any way Doritos fans like!
  • Tastes Like: The real thing! Experience the indulgent flavors of your favorite snack in liquid form. 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.

COCKTAILS: Empirical x Doritos® Nacho Cheese Spirit

Double Triangle Margarita

  • 1 oz Empirical x Doritos® Nacho Cheese Spirit
  • 1 oz blanco tequila
  • .75 oz fresh lime juice
  • .75 oz agave syrup (3:1)
  • Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a Tajín salt rim and a lime wheel.

Mary Mary

  • 1.5 oz Empirical x Doritos® Nacho Cheese Spirit
  • .5 oz tequila
  • 3 oz tomato juice
  • 1 barspoon lemon juice
  • 1 barspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • Big pinch of celery salt
  • Big pinch of cracked black pepper
  • Tiny pinch of cayenne
  • Build all ingredients in a Collins glass. Add ice and pass a barspoon through the drink 3 to 4 times. Garnish with pepperoncini, seasoned celery and a pickled onion.

Doritos Bangarang

  • 2 oz Empirical x Doritos® Nacho Cheese Spirit
  • 1 pinch smoked sea salt
  • 1 squeeze fresh grapefruit (or citrus of choice)
  • Top with Pepsi®
  • Fill Collins glass with ice. Add Empirical x Doritos® Nacho Chip Spirit, sea salt, grapefruit and top with Pepsi®. Stir 3 – 4 times. Garnish with grapefruit wedge.

About Empirical

Founded in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2017, Empirical is a flavor company by Lars Williamsand Mark Emil Hermansen. The two deep-thinking visionaries are inspired by the role flavor plays in their ability to create and transport experiences. The company does things its own way, having custom-built machinery, developed hybrid fermentation techniques, augmented low-temperature distillation, and traveled globally to source the highest quality ingredients. Taking a flavor-first approach means that Empirical does not pay attention to the conventional categories that traditionalists often want to cast their creations into. The result is something that is uncategorized, democratic, shareable, and driven by the journey of creating unique and unexpected flavors. Empirical is writing a playbook that does not exist—one distillation, one spirit and one flavor at a time. For more information, please visit empirical.co, follow us on X, Facebook and Instagram at @empiricalcph and on YouTube.

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