Dive Brief:

• Doritos has partnered with “uncategorized” spirits marketer Empirical on an alcoholic drink imbued with the taste and smell of its nacho cheese chips, per a press release. 
• The Empirical x Doritos Nacho Cheese Spirit was created using real Doritos chips in Empirical’s vacuum distillation process. Vacuum distillation operates at a lower temperature than traditional methods and claims to preserve a richer flavor profile.
• The limited-run product will be available starting in January in select markets in New York and California, as well as via online preorder. Doritos’ first crack at the spirits category comes paired with recommended cocktail recipes and represents the brand’s latest attempt to create waves in consumer culture.

Dive Insight:

Doritos is no stranger to oddball flavor bets and collaborations. Recent partnerships struck by the Frito-Lay brand have produced ghost kitchen offerings and noise-canceling technology tailored to drown out the crunching sound its chips make when eaten. Now, the snack marketer is trying to tap into consumers’ increasingly adventurous tastes in spirits with a 42% ABV beverage that promises to faithfully capture the flavor of its popular nacho cheese variant. 

Gen Z and millennials have demonstrated more liberal attitudes when it comes to experimenting with unusual flavors in a number of food categories, making them potentially prime targets for the limited-edition Empirical x Doritos Nacho Cheese Spirit. Doritos might also hit a sweet spot with people simply seeking the novelty of their “favorite snack in liquid form,” as the press release puts it.  

“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 statement. “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.”

To realize an accurately distilled version of its nacho cheese chips, Doritos teamed with Denmark-based Empirical. Founded in 2017, the company positions itself as an “uncategorized” spirits purveyor, i.e. it does not specialize in a specific type of drink, like gin or tequila, but instead rolls the dice on more unique flavors, enabled by its vacuum distillation method.

Empirical x Doritos Nacho Cheese Spirit comes in a co-branded bottle, with Empirical’s name printed over the Doritos triangle and logo. Notes of nacho cheese, corn tostada, umami and acidity can be expected from the offering, and it is recommended for use in mixed drinks like margaritas, Old Fashioneds, Bloody Marys or just neat over ice.

Doritos and Empirical are launching the spirit at retail in select U.S. markets during Dry January, when many (typically younger) consumers abstain from libations. Still, the drop could be generating some early buzz. The product, which hit presale Wednesday, appears to be sold out on Empirical’s website as of press time.