(12-12-2023, 10:46 AM)Greg Wrote: No. Just no. Just because they can doesn't mean they should.
Agreed.
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
(12-12-2023, 10:22 AM)Drunk Monk Wrote: I am very conflicted about this...
Quote:This New Doritos Liquor Is More Than Just a Cheesy Gimmick
We taste-tested it for you.
By Brad Japhe
Published on December 12, 2023
Nacho Cheese Doritos have been a staple of the snack food aisle for nearly half a century. Now, they’re headed to the liquor shelf.
In a most unconventional crossover, the iconic tortilla chip brand has partnered with Empirical Spirits to release an 84-proof clear liquor that actually smells and tastes like the real thing, minus the signature crunch — thankfully. Which is to say, it’s unlike any alcohol you’ve ever smelled or tasted before. And we don’t mean that in a bad way.
Ensuring the integrity of the new creation is Lars Williams. The former chef and self-avowed flavor expert spent time at Noma before breaking off to co-found Empirical in 2017. Since then, he’s steered the company toward “uncategorized” spirits. This grants him and his team the freedom to experiment without conforming to the well-defined parameters of, say, a gin, a rum, or a whisky.
It’s precisely this sort of unrestrained attitude that led to the serendipitous development of a Doritos-flavored booze.
“In Empirical’s very early days in Copenhagen, a team member returned from lunch with a sandwich and a bag of Doritos,” Williams recalls of the origin story. “Curiosity led me to turn this snack into a spirit. Upon tasting it, the result was amazing, and we burst into laughter. We shared it with friends, especially chefs. We would just give them a little glass without telling them what it was. The sheer joy in their face was amazing to watch.”
Indeed, one sniff of the spirit is enough to reveal its anchor ingredient. The bouquet is brimming with the unmistakable tang of cheese dust. But in the sip, it’s all about cornier elements. It leaves your palate with a drying note, akin to what accumulates on your tongue after you’ve crushed a sizable bag of corn chips. In other words, it’s maybe more Fritos than Doritos.
“My goal was to recreate the entire experience of opening a bag of Doritos, getting that signature aroma, followed by its flavor dance across the palate with its unmistakable savory, cheesy, and umami notes,” adds Williams.
To get there, he started with a base of distilled beer — pilsner malt, to be precise. The Doritos were then introduced and allowed to infuse in the liquid, under exacting time and temperature. Vacuum distillation, which operates at lower temperatures than traditional distillation, was used to safeguard flavors collected during maceration. Ultimately, you can think of the product as a nacho cheese-flavored vodka.
The folks at PepsiCo, Doritos’ parent company, were suitably impressed by the mashup. It was Empirical who approached them with the idea of the collaboration. Despite the unlikely commingling of Noma-pedigreed personnel with America’s most popular snack chip, the pairing makes perfect sense when you realize that high-end chefs have a well-known penchant for off-shift junk food.
The release will arrive on shelves next month wearing a cost closer to that of caviar. The limited edition bottle of Empirical x Doritos Nacho Cheese Spirit is set to retail at $65 — nearly twice the average sum of super premium vodkas. The ability to show up at a Super Bowl party offering shots of Doritos, however, is surely priceless. Just don’t hold your breath for a Cool Ranch follow-up. Williams tried that and wasn’t happy with the results. Perhaps some Funyuns rum, instead?
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
(12-13-2023, 02:44 AM)Dr. Ivor Yeti Wrote: This feels like the kind of thing you drink and end up in the local park fighting raccoons with a pickleball racquet
Like, NOBODY is making good decisions on the Doritos Juice
I hate it when that happens!
(The original clown makeup at the amusement park quote was better from Chuck Wendig but I couldn't get it from Blue Sky)
It's right there in the thumbnail. You censored the dildo.
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
![[Image: Empirical-Doritos-Liquor-FT-BLOG1223-78c...6e3262.jpg]](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/tQwp8XuHbJ9dbjrISngbwCndVoc=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Empirical-Doritos-Liquor-FT-BLOG1223-78c78cf59a67443a8e0476b4f26e3262.jpg)
![[Image: Empirical-Doritos-Liquor-FT-2-BLOG1223-b...ff2a28.jpg]](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/VoDKnJ2N-xOkv8aONyUjR5MmAjc=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Empirical-Doritos-Liquor-FT-2-BLOG1223-bc6e4a65cb6242a0aed1140254ff2a28.jpg)