From snack to sip, what to know about the new Doritos spirit

Doritos fans will need to look beyond the snack aisle for a taste of the newest flavor innovation that brings the trademark cheese taste to alcoholic drinks.

The popular chip maker collaborated with flavor company Empirical, a Copenhagen-based distillery, to create a multi-sensorial beverage with the savory nacho cheese chips infused into the unique spirit.

Lars Williams and Mark Emil Hermansen, both late of the Danish culinary hotspot Noma who co-founded the free-form distillery and fermentation workshop, have been shaking up the spirits world since they opened in 2017. This new, limited-release uncategorized spirit is a prime example of their flavor-first approach that applies scientific and culinary innovations to beverages.

Doritos Nacho Cheese-flavored Spirit

The first-of-a-kind innovation for both brands started with the visionaries at Empirical, who used their innovative production process and vacuum distillation to infuse real Doritos chips into the beverage.

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

The non-traditional distillation method operates at lower temperatures, which the company said helps to preserve the full spectrum of flavors – in this case, derived from Doritos.

As for the flavor? "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 Empirical team described.

"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. "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."

The new, limited-edition bottles of Empirical x Doritos Nacho Cheese Spirit (42% ABV, 750ml) will be available for $65.00 online and in select New York and California markets. Interested customers can sign up online via the new microsite for pre-orders beginning Dec. 13.

Doritos Nacho Cheese Cocktails

For fans who snag the snack in liquid form, the team shared three recipes to make the chip-infused booze shine.

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 three to four times. Garnish with pepperoncini, seasoned celery and a pickled onion.

Red Bag Old Fashioned
1.5 oz Empirical x Doritos® Nacho Cheese Spirit
.5 oz Ayuuk (sub for Mezcal if needed)
1 barspoon sugar syrup (2:1)
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
1 teeny-tiny pinch of salt OR 2 dashes saline solution (10%)

Build in a Double Old Fashioned glass. Add ice and stir for five to eight seconds. Garnish with an orange twist.