Jack Daniel's x Disaronno Velvet Fire: Future Viral Sensation or Hot Mess?

In the spirits world, we’ve seen some spectacular wins—like Heaven Hill’s 13-year-old single-barrel bourbon, one of the rarest of 2020. Naturally, we’ve got to expect some losses too. Collaborations aren’t uncommon—far from it—but this new announcement from legendary whiskey brand Jack Daniel’s and Italian liqueur maker Disaronno has us scratching our heads. It’s called Velvet Fire. It “combines 2 parts Disaronno Velvet and 1 part Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire.” And it sounds absolutely nauseating.

Now we wouldn’t put ourselves in the camp of spirits drinkers that enjoys a spicy, milky drink. But then again, we’re not exactly the target demo. We’re a tad removed from the college age bracket, and our beverage of choice isn’t dictated by the cheapest buzz.

Notably, the press release quote from Disaronno cautiously avoids any words that might entice even the slightly sophisticated drinker, like “delicious,” “tasty,” or even “refreshing.”

Instead it says: “The mixability of Disaronno Velvet combined with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire makes for a very unique tasting experience that will intrigue many palates of spirits and cocktail lovers,” said Ignacio Llaneza, vice president of Brand & Trade Marketing for Disaronno.

Intriguing indeed. It appears one would need an iron stomach—or a bevy of antacids to neutralize the aftermath of this liquor abomination.

We’ll stick to sipping on small-batch anejo tequila, a smoky single-barrel whisky or, hell, even a bargain bourbon around a campfire. Quaffing a milky atomic fireball or any other crazy cocktail crafted by sadistic bartenders or marketing wizards (let us not forget the Smoker’s Cough—Jägermeister and mayo) doesn’t really get us jazzed.

But hey, we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. We haven’t tasted it yet, so maybe it’ll become a big hit and inspire a legion of TikTok fans to create a challenge. We’d certainly be interested in watching someone take a shot or two of this…

Velvet Fire is now available nationwide with a suggested retail price of $49.99