Why is Minneapolis-based Tattersall Distilling making vodka for Arbys?

Gimmick? Could be. A joke? Certainly not.

Arbys is actually releasing two variations of chip-flavored vodka, and two Minneapolis liquor companies are helping with the rollout.

On Tuesdays, the fast food chainannounced plansto release an extremely limited range of vodkas with a deep fryer flavor. Arbys chose based on MinneapolisTattersall Distillingto develop the drink andSurdyksto spread it.

You’d be forgiven for assuming the announcement was a joke. Racket, the successor toblinded Twin Cities alt weeklyCity pages, said the news initially came across as: a joke meant for april 1. But Jon Kreidler, Tattersall’s co-founder and chief officer, confirms it’s no joke.

Scheduled to be availableexclusively onlinefrom November 18, the vodka will be available in two flavours: curled tray and crumpled tray. And yes, there is a difference between the two, Kreidler said. Both are potato vodkas, but the crinkle fries are flavored with kosher salt and sugar, while the curly fries are flavored with cayenne, paprika, onion and black pepper, he said.

How did Tattersall get involved in the project? Kreidler said Arbys approached the distillery and wanted to do something unique to announce their new crinkle fries.

He reaffirmed that the project is a short-term contract. The bottles are extremely limited and at this point it’s unlikely to be an ongoing product, Kreidler said in an email. But Tattersall seems to have a number of other big projects in the pipeline. We have a few more [partnerships] in the works that we’re very excited about and hopefully become part of our ongoing portfolio of spirits, he said. We hoped to have even more information out in the open this winter and think our local supporters will be very excited about it.

There’s another Minnesota connection to the fry-flavored vodkas: ChefJustin Sutherland, TV star and owner of Handsome Hog in St. Paul, Tattersall helped develop the flavoring. Shortly after Arbys made contact, Tattersall leaders met with Sutherland on an unrelated matter. When they brought up Sutherland’s idea, he was on board right away, Kreidler said.

We have a long-standing relationship with Chef Sutherland, dating back to our Signature Series Single Malt Whiskey we co-created with him, Kreidler said. We knew Justin was a huge Arbys fan and having worked with the brand in the past and thought it would be even more fun throwing him in the lap with the vodkas.

Consumer reactions have been mixed since the announcement on Tuesday. On Instagram, one user called the vodka’s abominable rinse. Others accused Tattersall of being sold out. But there were plenty of social media users who seemed excited at the prospect of fried-flavored liquor.

Aaron Keller,TCBcolumnistand founder of the Minneapolis-based branding agencyCapsule, said brand size matters when it comes to partnerships. Consumers can sense when something doesn’t seem skewed.

You really can’t claim to be artisan and then tie yourself to a huge fast food chain, Keller says. That doesn’t exactly do a good job of presenting to an existing audience. Consumer culture sees through that stuff.

Still, other than local opponents, Tattersall will benefit the most from the venture. You open yourself up to a whole new audience. So from that perspective, it could be very positive, Keller said.