Yes, Arby's Really Is Selling French Fry-Flavored Vodka
When Arby's announces a new launch, you usually have to double-check to see how serious it is. After all, they are the company that once decided to make vegetables out of meat (per CNet). Arby's making a french fry-flavored vodka may sound similarly hard to believe, but the meaty fast food chain's latest venture is quite serious.
In a press release shared with Mashed, Arby's explained that it will release two limited batches of vodka: one curly fry, and one crinkle fry. The first will be available at 12 p.m. on November 18, and the second will follow on November 22. You can purchase them on arbysvodka.com for $59.99 per bottle plus shipping.
"Though we've mastered the art of drive-thru fries," Patrick Schwing, CMO of Arby's, stated, "we wanted to take it one step further – by making them 80-proof. Being a potato-based liquor, this limited-edition vodka is infused with crinkle and curly fry flavor so Arby's fans can enjoy our menu from bag to bottle." The Curly Fry Vodka is distilled with cayenne, paprika, onion and garlic to capture the flavor of Arby's classic fries, while the Crinkle Fry Vodka has kosher salt and sugar.
For the french fry fans looking for a new spin on brunch, Arby's has partnered with Justin Sutherland to design Bloody Mary recipes that are made with Arby's special sauces and garnished with Arby's foods. The recipe videos will also launch on November 18.
The vodka may be better than the fries
While the vodka is a fun promotion, Arby's does take their potatoes very seriously. This can be seen in how the vodka flavors are really designed to match those of the fries.
In April, Inspire Brands published a profile piece about Arby's fries and the work that went into creating the chain's still relatively new crinkle fries. "There are hundreds of size choices, length and potato types," Neville Craw, V.P. of Culinary innovation & Brand Executive Chef, explained. "Once we got into crinkle, there was a multitude of iterations we went through before landing on what we did."
However, when The Impulsive Buy reviewed the new fries, they found them to be in a similar league as frozen fries from the grocery store.
So, when the vodkas do drop, many might buy the crinkle fry flavor because the curly one is sold out, not because they hold a special love for Arby's crinkle fries.