Food and Beverage

DORITOS® and EMPIRICAL Launch First-Ever Nacho Cheese Spirit

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

Published

2 years ago

December 18, 2023

Daily News Staff

Last Updated on July 9, 2024 by Daily News Staff

PLANO, Texas /PRNewswire/ — Doritos today 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.

The iconic flavor of Doritos Nacho Cheese Chips now in the spirits aisle with Empirical x Doritos Nacho Cheese Spirit.Tweet

Frito Lay EmpiricalxDoritos — Doritos unveils 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. Photo credit: PepsiCo Design & Innovation

“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 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,” says Lars Williams, Chef/Distiller & CEO, Empirical. “And we can take something that has a unique and amazing flavor, like Doritos, and evolve it into something completely new.”

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 York and 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 Williams and 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. Please Drink Responsibly. Must be 21+. Vacuum Distilled Spirits, 42% Alc by Vol., Empirical.co

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About Doritos
Doritos believes there’s boldness in everyone. We champion those who are true to themselves, who live life fully engaged and take bold action by stepping outside of their comfort zone and pushing the limits. Doritos is one of many Frito-Lay North America brands – the $23 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Follow Doritos on X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, www.fritolay.com, and on X.

About Frito-Lay North America
Frito-Lay North America is the $23 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Frito-Lay snacks include Lay’s and Ruffles potato chips, Doritos and Tostitos tortilla chips and branded dips, Cheetos snacks, Stacy’s pita chips, PopCorners popped-corn snack, SunChips multigrain snacks and Fritos corn chips. The company operates 30+ manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and Canada, more than 200 distribution centers and services 315,000 retail customers per week through its direct-store-delivery model. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, www.fritolay.com, on X (@fritolay), on Instagram (@fritolay) and on Facebook (Frito-Lay).

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $79 billion in net revenue in 2021, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on X, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.

SOURCE Frito-Lay

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Beverages

Grazing and Gifting: Sweet Solutions for the Holiday Rush

Grazing and Gifting: hMake holiday entertaining and gifting easy with Florida Citrus. Discover delightful recipes—like Scallops with Grapefruit Butter and Citrus Salad with Burrata—and send sweet, healthy citrus gift baskets to loved ones for a memorable, stress-free season.

Published

15 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Daily News Staff

Grazing and Gifting: A festive display of Florida Citrus gift baskets filled with fresh tangerines, grapefruits, oranges, and mandarins, surrounded by holiday-themed recipes and drinks.

Grazing and Gifting: Sweet Solutions for the Holiday Rush

(Family Features) If you feel yourself slipping into the last-minute rush of the holiday season, still searching for dazzling recipes and abundant gifts, rest assured – you’re not alone. Light, refreshing ingredients for spectacular meals are just a click away, and they can make for the perfect presents, too. 17755 detail embed 4

Abundantly sweet and simple, Florida Citrus Gifts are a simple way to share holiday cheer with family, friends and loved ones. From cheerful boxes to beautiful baskets and more, they offer options in all shapes and sizes, loaded with freshly picked tangerines, grapefruits, oranges and mandarins. They’re easy to send and even easier to enjoy, providing a one-of-a-kind (and healthy) way to share holiday cheer in memorable meals like Scallops with Florida Grapefruit Butter, sure to become a household favorite for years to come. Pair it with a light and refreshing Florida Citrus Salad with Burrata featuring fresh grapefruit and oranges mingling with peppery arugula and creamy burrata to bring a bit of balance to holiday dining. No festivity is complete without libations, and this Florida Grapefruit Brandy Sour can be a staple at your beverage station. Just mix freshly squeezed Florida Grapefruit juice with brandy, simple syrup, bitters and egg white (for froth) then finish with sparkling water. Find deliciously thoughtful ways to share the sweetness of the season with loved ones by visiting PickFLA.com, which features an interactive map to find a range of gift options that fit your holiday needs. 17755 detail embed 1

Florida Grapefruit Brandy Sour

Recipe courtesy of the Florida Department of Citrus Prep time: 5 minutes Servings: 1

1 3/4 ounces brandy
2 1/2 ounces freshly squeezed Florida Grapefruit Juice
1/3 ounce simple syrup, or to taste
2 dashes bitters
1 egg white
ice cubes
1 ounce sparkling water
Florida Grapefruit twist, for garnish

In cocktail shaker, add brandy, Florida Grapefruit juice, simple syrup, bitters and egg white. Shake vigorously 15-20 seconds to create frothy texture.
Add ice cubes to shaker and shake 15 seconds to chill drink.
Strain into chilled coupe or rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
Pour light splash of sparkling water over top to enhance eﬀervescence.
Garnish with grapefruit twist.

Scallops with Florida Grapefruit Butter

Recipe courtesy of the Florida Department of Citrus Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 3 minutes Servings: 4

2 Florida Grapefruit
1 fennel bulb
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for searing, divided
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/8 teaspoon, plus 1 pinch, salt, divided, to taste
1/8 teaspoon, plus 1 pinch, pepper, divided, to taste
1 small bunch fresh cilantro
12 scallops with empty shells
1 tablespoon butter

Peel and cut one Florida Grapefruit into segments. Squeeze remaining grapefruit and reserve juice.
Wash and finely chop fennel. In bowl, mix fennel with olive oil, sherry vinegar and 1 pinch salt and pepper.
Mix and add fresh cilantro. Keep a few leaves for garnish.
In hot frying pan, drizzle with olive oil then sear scallops 1 minute on each side.
Remove scallops from pan then deglaze with reserved Florida Grapefruit juice. Let it simmer slightly and add butter to make sauce. Add 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper.
Place 1 tablespoon fennel salad in washed shell, top with three scallops and coat with grapefruit butter.
Finish with reserved cilantro leaves and fresh grapefruit segments.

Florida Citrus Salad with Burrata

Recipe courtesy of the Florida Department of Citrus Florida Citrus Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup Florida Grapefruit Juice
1/3 cup Florida Orange Juice
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons shallots
sea salt, to taste
fresh pepper, to taste

Pickled Onion:

1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup white vinegar or cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Burrata Salad:

4 Florida Grapefruit, peeled and cut into segments
3 oranges, peeled and cut into segments
1 bunch radishes, sliced thin and cut into sticks
1/3 cup pistachios, grilled and coarsely chopped
1 cup arugula
2 tablespoons dill, chopped
sea salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
8 ounces burrata

To make vinaigrette: In small bowl, mix Florida Grapefruit Juice, Florida Orange Juice, orange zest, cider vinegar, honey, Dijon, olive oil and shallots until dressing is emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside. Vinaigrette will keep 7 days in refrigerator.
To make pickled onion: Place sliced onion in airtight canning jar.
In small saucepan, combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Bring to boil and pour over sliced onion in jar. Add small amount of water to completely cover onion. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Pickled onions will keep 15 days in refrigerator.
To make burrata salad: In bowl, combine Florida Grapefruit and Orange segments; add radish sticks, toasted pistachios, arugula and dill. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Place salad on large plate, top with coarsely chopped burrata and drizzle generously with citrus vinaigrette and pickled onion.

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SOURCE: Florida Department of Citrus

Visit our Food & Drink section to get the latest on Foodie News and recipes, offering a delightful blend of culinary inspiration and gastronomic trends to elevate your dining experience. https://stmdailynews.com/food-and-drink/

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