New York (CNN) � Doritos is betting on a new way to get people addicted to their tortilla chips: booze.
The PepsiCo-owned brand is releasing a new spirit based off of Doritos� nacho cheese flavor that “tastes just like the real thing,� according to a press release. The chip maker partnered with , a Danish company known for making custom spirits with creative flavors.
, the limited-edition flavor goes on sale Wednesday in New York and California and costs $65 for a 750ml bottle.
This isn’t the first zany food-adjacent product from a big brand. Recently, Kahlúa and Absolut Vodka made a that smells like an espresso martini and Dunkin� turned its into canned cocktails. Also, Arby’s turned its curly and crinkle fries into a vodka, as well as created a to be paired with its roast beef.
The goal of these products is to pique customers� curiosity, spark a conversation and increase brand recognition. In other words: It’s a marketing ploy disguised as a product for sale. Don’t expect this to boost Pepsi’s bottom line.
For Doritos and Empirical, the companies are describing the collaboration as a “first-of-a-kind innovation for both brands.� The spirit was made in Empirical’s lab through a production process that used Doritos chips to retain their “essence through vacuum distillation,� which the spirit maker says preserves more of the Doritos flavor compared to a traditional method.
The spirit’s flavor “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 company said.
Since it’s a flavored spirit and not a specific category of liquor, Doritos recommends mixing it with a tequila or mezcal to make a bloody mary or a margarita. The booze can also be sipped neat or over ice.
“While the flavor may seem wacky, the collaboration has novelty value, and it is likely a lot of people will be interested enough to try it out,� said Neil Saunders, retail analyst and managing director at GlobalData Retail. He added that Empirical and Doritos are both known for “being playful and fun.�
“Consumers are in the mood to test new things and are looking for products that are interesting and a bit different from the run of the mill,� he told CNN.
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