Velveeta unveils new martini with cheese-infused vodka, garnished with pasta shells

CHICAGO - Velveeta is no stranger to unique marketing campaigns and collaborations, including a line of nail polish that smells like actual cheese. Now, the brand is getting into the cocktail space with a new martini inspired by its golden, shelf-stable cheese.

The Kraft Heinz-owned cheese brand on Wednesday announced the launch of its new "Veltini," which takes the classic martini "to a whole new level" with a cheesy twist. 

The Veltini cocktail includes "Velveeta infused vodka," olive brine and vermouth. The drink is garnished with a cheese drip and a cocktail pick of Velveeta-stuffed olives and jumbo Velveeta Shells & Cheese for the finishing touches.

The brand teamed up with the BLT Restaurant Group, which operates steakhouses around the world, to bring the cheesy martini to life. 

"We worked closely with the brand to make this vision a reality, balancing the flavors of a typical martini with the nostalgic cheesy flavor we all know and love from VELVEETA, and are excited for fans to experience this delicious over-the-top cocktail," Scott Cronin, senior vice president at BLT Restaurant Group, said in a statement.

Those who think they’d like to try a Velveeta Veltini can do so for $15. But the drink is only available to order in person at select BLT locations during "Golden Hour" from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for a limited time. 

The locations offering the drink include BLT Steak New York, BLT Steak Washington D.C., BLT Steak Charlotte, BLT Prime New York, and The Florentine in Chicago.

The Velveeta Veltini is available to order in person at select BLT restaurants in the U.S. for $15, and is also available as a kit sold online for $50. (Credit: Business Wire/Velveeta)

For customers who can’t make it to one of those locations, Velveeta is also offering a limited amount of Veltini kits via the online food marketplace Goldbelly for $50. 

The kit includes two martini glasses, a gold cocktail shaker, two Velveeta coasters, a jar of olives, cocktail picks, a box of Velveeta Jumbo Shells & Cheese, Velveeta cheese sauce "to infuse vodka and rim glasses," a Velveeta brick to stuff olives, and a Veltini recipe card. 

As one can imagine, the reaction to the new happy-hour martini was mixed. 

"Nobody asked for this," one person wrote on Twitter.

"do not send me any press about the velveeta martini i am very aware," another quipped.

"In June, they introduced the Velveeta Nail Polish and in July, a new martini to go with it. I like my Velveeta stirred and never shaken," a third Twitter user added.

The Velveeta Veltini includes "Velveeta infused vodka," olive brine and vermouth. The drink is garnished with a cheese drip and a cocktail pick of Velveeta-stuffed olives and jumbo Velveeta Shells & Cheese. (Credit: Business Wire/Velveeta)

Other food companies have made headlines for their unique marketing ideas in recent days. Earlier this year, Krispy Kreme started selling a dozen glazed doughnuts for the average U.S. price of a gallon of regular gas. In April, it also teamed up with Cinnamon Toast Crunch to debut three new cereal milk-inspired doughnuts.

In May, KFC sold Mother’s Day bouquets full of fried chicken, and Taco Bell made a whole TikTok musical with Dolly Parton about its beloved Mexican Pizza that recently returned to menus nationwide.

The Girl Scouts also debuted a cookie-inspired makeup line of eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks.

This story was reported from Cincinnati.