In Empiricals very early days, we were still optimizing the still designs, running hundreds of tests on different botanicals; trying to understand how the volatile compounds interacted with different condenser configurations.

One day a team member returned from lunch with a sandwich and a bag of Doritos; I apologized and threw the Doritos in the still. To be honest, I wasnt expecting much- perhaps some top notes, or only the tortilla flavor.

But as the R&D team sipped it for the first time, we burst into laughter. We were drinking Doritos!

Doritos touch on all the flavor points we crave as people. Theres that umami component, saltiness, a sort of sweet and sour tang, and a teeny bit of bitterness all in one bite; and most chefs will at some point admit that its a guilty pleasure they indulge in. This was certainly proven as we sampled the beta version of the spirit to our many restaurant colleagues and witnessed that same laughter and joy we had when we first tasted it.

42% ABV