" We're all made of stardust and it wants us to do good. "
CONTINUE
What we'll cover today.
BEYOND THE BOTTLE
Tito's turns spirits into love and goodness. Learn how giving back became a pillar of the Tito's Handmade Vodka brand.
DISTILLING THE VODKA
What makes Tito's Handmade Vodka stand out? Learn how an old fashioned pot still and an ear of corn made all the difference.
THE TITO'S STORY
Learn how Tito found his calling as "the vodka guy." Through risk-taking, hard work, and unbreakable determination he built the first legal, operating distillery in Texas and created Tito's Handmade Vodka.
HOME
SECTION 1
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SECTION 3
- Tito Beveridge
How Tito Beveridge failed his way to success.
The Tito's Story
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Tito got a kick out of infusing vodka for friends and handing out bottles at parties. It was at one of those parties that a simple exchange would inspire him to chase his dream.
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After graduating, his career track took a few turns, but between oil fields and mortgage lending, he found time to do what he loved...
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Before making his way into the vodka business, Tito Beveridge (yes, that’s his real name) earned degrees in geology and geophysics from The University of Texas at Austin.
Tito was tapping the keg when a fellow party-goer approached him with "Hey, you're the vodka guy!" to which Tito responded, "Au contraire, my friend, I am the mortgage guy." But that brief conversation got Tito thinking...
Draw a line down the middle of a sheet of paper. On one side, write what you are good at; on the other, write what you love to do. Show a friend to keep you honest. Find the path that combines as many of the things from both lists as you can, and you’ll have your ideal career!
Tito was watching a late-night motivational speaker on TV who offered a simple solution to find your calling.
It seems his path was written in the stars.
THE ORIGINAL SIGN ON THE SIDE OF THE SHACK GETS INCREASINGLY WEATHERED WITH WIND, HAILSTORMS, AND EACH BRUTALLY HOT TEXAS SUMMER, BUT IT'S HOME SWEET HOME.
Despite his drive, Tito hit a wall. Investors turned him down again and again, convinced he would never get the needed permits. So, he racked up 19 credit cards and counted on friends to help build the distillery.
In 1995, Tito built Texas’ first operating, legal distillery on 12 acres of land in southeast Austin.
Tito's Handmade Vodka
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The Essential Ingredient
LEARN MORE
Self-Taught Distiller
Tito's April 1997
Corn
After trying all kinds of bases, he settled on corn because of the soft, rounded shoulders and smooth, crisp finish it gave his vodka.
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Tito is a completely self-taught distiller and relied on prohibition-era images of pot stills and lore from the oil fields to figure out the method for vodka distillation.
Tito’s Handmade Vodka was officially released on April 7, 1997.
OUR TIMELINE
Tito Beveridge obtained his permit to become the first operating, legal distillery in Texas.
Tito works day and night to perfect his recipe with a goal to make a vodka “everyone can sip straight.”
Still hand-bottling, screwing on caps, pasting on labels with Elmer’s Glue, Tito canvasses Austin to share his product and tell his story.
Tito’s gains a following through word-of-mouth and tiny black-and-white ads in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.
1995:
1997:
Tito obtains a permit to sell.
2015:
2013:
2001:
Donates product to Project Transitions.
Tito’s wins Double Gold at World Spirits Competition.
Vodka for Dog People is established.
is established.
PRODUCT & PROCESS
Continue
2016
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2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
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2008
Tito Beveridge obtained the first legal permit to distill in Texas
Tito’s gains a following through word-of-mouth marketing, tiny black and white ads in the NYT and WSJ, and social media.
Tito obtains a permit to sell
2003:
Donates product to Project Transitions
Tito’s wins Double Gold at World Spirits Competition
Vodka for Dog People is established
is established
What makes Tito's Handmade Vodka stand out?
Distilling the Vodka
"Any time you try to do something extraordinary, then you are taking a chance, and you will have failures."
Potatoes
Chopin
Soy
3 Vodka
Various Grains
Stolichnaya
Rye
Belvedere
Grapes
Ciroc
Wheat
Grey Goose, Absolut
Vodka can be made from almost any base ingredient that produces fermentable sugars. Each ingredient creates a different starting characteristic to the base spirit.
Types & Character of Vodka
WATER
The water used in Tito’s Handmade Vodka is locally sourced and much of it is naturally filtered through limestone.
GLUTEN FREE
Lucky for him, distilling from corn also makes Tito’s Handmade Vodka naturally gluten free.
CORN
Tito felt that corn delivered the best starting “clay” from which to mold his product.
Tito's Handmade Vodka Ingredients
There are two types of stills used to make spirits: POT STILLS & COLUMN STILLS
POT STILL DISTILLATION
While batch distilling in a pot still is more expensive and time consuming, the careful attention and craftsmanship provides what we think is the best-tasting vodka in the end.
Tito’s Handmade Vodka uses copper in the stills because copper is a great heat conductor. With heat being evenly distributed throughout the metal, the distillation process becomes more predictable with less potential for scorching. This allows us to make a great-tasting vodka consistently!
By using a pot still, the distillation process yields a more flavorful, well-balanced, distinct spirit that is full of body. During distillation, the heads and tails, which contain higher and lower alcohols such as propanol and methanol which affect the taste, are discarded. Similar to how they make fine single malt scotches and high-end French cognacs.
Since the Civil War, column still distillation has become the most common process for distilling spirits because of its technological efficiency. The other form of distillation used for close to two millennia is the pot still.
Distilling the Juice
GLUTEN-FREE
Lucky for him, distilling from corn also makes Tito’s Handmade Vodka naturally gluten-free.
While distilling in a batch-process, pot still is more expensive and time-consuming; the careful attention and craftsmanship provides what we think is the best tasting vodka in the end.
Tito’s Handmade Vodka uses copper in the stills because copper is a great heat conductor. With heat being evenly distributed throughout the metal, the distillation process becomes more predictable with less potential for scorching. This allows us to make a great tasting vodka consistently!
Tito brought back the old and discarded technique of Pot Still distillation. By using a pot still, the distillation process yields a more flavorful, well-balanced, distinct spirit that is full of body. During distillation, the heads and tails, which contain higher and lower alcohols such as propanol and methanol, which effect the taste, are discarded.
Since the Civil War, Column Still distillation has become the most common process for distilling spirits because of its technological efficiency. The form of distillation used for close to two millennia, the pot still, basically disappeared from commercial production.
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Critically Acclaimed & Award Winning
Tito’s Handmade Vodka has been recognized as one of the World’s Best Vodkas and has won top honors by critics and many others.
sIDNEY fRANK aWARD 2016 AWARD IN RECOGNITION OF tITO'S PHILANTHROPY AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE INDUSTRY
MARKET WATCH LEADERS 2016 SPIRIT BRAND OF THE YEAR
wINE eNTHUSIAST mAGAZINE sPIRIT bRAND OF THE yEAR 2014
iMPACT mAGAZINE hOT bRAND lIST 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 eSTABLISHED bRAND 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
ADAMS MEDIA GROUP FAST TRACK GROWTH BRAND EVERY YEAR 2006 THROUGH 2017
San Francisco World Spirits Championship Unanimous Winner Double Gold
Sidney Frank Award
SIDNEY FRANK AWARD
Click each award to learn more.
"I was raised that if you are going to do something, do it right, do it better than anyone else, and charge a reasonable price."
3 of 5
Tito's Bloody Mary
Brunch’s favorite plus one. Try it with a jalapeño infusion for an extra kick.
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Tito's All-Time Favorite
We call this a happy accident. When a server couldn’t remember Tito’s preferred garnish, she added a slice of orange and lime to his cocktail, creating our most iconic drink to-date.
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Tito's Soda Lime
Tito's, sparkling water, and a squeeze of fresh lime. Enough said.
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Tito's Espresso Martini
The unofficial official cocktail of the Tito’s Handmade Vodka team.
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Tito's American Mule
A classic cocktail starts in a copper mug and ends with a splash of Tito’s.
iMPACT mAGAZINE hOT bRAND lIST 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 eSTABLISHED bRAND 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
BEVERAGE INFORMATION GROUP GROWTH BRAND HALL OF FAME AWARDED TO BRANDS THAT HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST 10 GROWTH BRAND AWARDS OVER THE YEARS
America's Favorite Vodka Nielson total us universe 52 weeks ending 9/22/23
sIDNEY fRANK aWARD
MARKET WATCH LEADERS
wINE eNTHUSIAST mAGAZINE
iMPACT mAGAZINE
BEVERAGE INFORMATION GROUP
america's favorite vodka
nielson total us universe 52 weeks ending 9/22/23
hOT bRAND lIST 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 eSTABLISHED bRAND 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
GROWTH BRAND HALL OF FAME AWARDED TO BRANDS THAT HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST 10 GROWTH BRAND AWARDS OVER THE YEARS
sPIRIT bRAND OF THE yEAR 2014
2016 SPIRIT BRAND OF THE YEAR
2016 AWARD IN RECOGNITION OF tITO'S PHILANTHROPY AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE INDUSTRY
OME
Section III
Beyond the Bottle
When Tito first started making his vodka, he gave it away to any charity who needed the help and would often be found behind the bar serving drinks at the events.
Tito has always had a generous heart and has given all he could at every stage of growth in his business.
In 2014, he hired a full time Joyologist to help him make the world a better place through vodka.
Vodka for Dog People
Fourteen Acres Farm
CHEERS
Disaster Relief
Block to Block
Community Events
Making the world a better place
"Don’t worry about making money first. Make a job you love first."
In 2014, Tito brought a Chief Joyologist onboard to help him make the world a better place by turning spirits into love and goodness.
Thanks to Tito, giving back has been a part of Tito's Handmade Vodka since the very beginning.
When Tito first started making his vodka, he gave it away to local nonprofits to help their fundraising efforts and would often be found behind the bar serving drinks at the events.
The Giving Spirit
Emancipet
Back when it was just Tito and DogJo coming across countless strays at the distillery, Tito needed a hand getting them the care they needed. He found a local nonprofit dedicated to offering low-cost vet care to the pets that needed it most: Emancipet. Since its start in ’99, the organization has been committed to improving the lives of pets in underserved communities, spayed or neutered more than 400,000 dogs and cats, and in 2021, it provided more than 230,000 free and low-cost vet visits.
Highlights:
*Rescued more than 120+ Distillery Dogs *Program Officially Began in 2013 *15,000+ Nonprofit Events & Campaigns Since 2013
VFDP, Distillery Dogs, & Animal-Focused Nonprofits:
Dogs have been part of the Tito's Handmade Vodka story for over twenty-five years. For a while it was just Tito and his dog. They set up shop in rural Austin, Texas; Tito built a distillery and perfected his vodka, DogJo kept him company. Soon, stray and feral dogs followed the smell of food and started showing up…and they’ve never stopped. These “distillery dogs” inspired the folks at Tito’s to amplify the impact of animal-focused nonprofits in Austin and beyond; teaming up to sponsor thousands of dog-friendly events that celebrate the bond between pups and their people. Plus, 100% of the net proceeds from merch sold at the Love, Tito’s retail or web store benefit a selection of nonprofits, including an organization dedicated to helping people and their pets through affordable veterinary services. There’s a reason why Tito’s is Vodka for Dog People.
The Start of Tito & DogJo:
Tito saw an ad in the paper for adoptable puppies and brought DogJo home the same day. DogJo was the original “distillery dog” and Tito’s right-hand girl.
Tito & DogJo
VFDP & Nonprofits
Highlights
Tito’s supports thousands of nonprofits every year, all across the country and around the world.
Learn more about some of Tito's philanthropic efforts and Love, Tito's by clicking below.
Tito's Handmake Vodka
Quiz
Get started!
Question 1/7
What is Tito’s last name? They say nomenclature is destiny.
A. Beverage
B. Beveridge (spelled with a “ridge” not a “rage”)
C. Craft
Oops! Sorry that is the wrong answer!
The correct answer was...
Beveridge (spelled with a "ridge" not a rage")
Go to next question...
Right On! That is the correct answer!
Tito's last name is Beveridge (spelled with a "ridge" not a "rage")
Question 2/7
Where is Tito’s Handmade Vodka distilled?
A. Austin, Texas
B. San Antonio, Texas
C. Overseas
Hurrah! That is the correct answer!
Tito’s has been distilled in Austin, Texas since our start back in ’97.
Question 3/7
What is Tito's Handmade Vodka made of?
A. Wheat
B. Grapes
C. Corn
Tito's Handmade Vodka is made of corn.
Question 4/7
What is a key pillar of the Tito’s Handmade Vodka brand?
A. Stardust
B. Giving Back or Philanthropy
C. Keeping Shareholders Happy
Great Job! That is the correct answer!
A key pillar of the Tito’s Handmade Vodka brand is Giving Back or Philanthropy.
A key pillar of the Tito's Handmade Vodka brand is Giving Back or Philanthropy.
Question 5/7
Tito never thought he’d get his vodka out of Texas. Was he right?
A. Yep, you can only buy Tito's in Austin, Texas.
B. No. Today, you can buy Tito's globally.
No. Today you can buy Tito's globally.
Today, you can buy Tito's globally.
TAKE Again
You know the ins and outs of the Tito’s Handmade Vodka brand. Here’s to you!
D. Smith
D. Omaha, Nebraska
D. Potatoes
D. Bragging About our Smooth Product
Question 6/7
How many distillery dogs has Tito’s rescued?
A. 25
B. 10
C. 75
D. 100+
Tito's has rescued over 100 dogs.
Question 7/7
What animal-focused nonprofit has Tito’s teamed up with for over two decades?
A. Austin Animal Center
B. Emancipet
C. Austin Humane Society
D. ASPCA
Tito's has teamed up with Emancipet for over two decades.
You can close your browser window or take the quiz again.
Try Again
What Is Tito's Last Name?
Right On!
Oops!
D. Bragging About Our Smooth Product
D. More than 120+ dogs
Try again
Tito's has rescued more than 120+ dogs.
Here's to you!
