Tito's is # 1

[Hornius Emeritus 12469]

Quite an amazing story. The #1 selling distilled spirit in the U.S. is made right here in Austin, Texas, baby. Knocked Smirnoff vodka off the throne it had occupied for 10 years:


https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/titos-handmade-vodka-is-now-the-top-selling-distilled-spirit-in-the-u-s-report-says/

[Sbbruin 21858]

That's really surprising.  Not surprised Tito's is a top selling vodka, but Smirnoff sells a gotdam ocean's worth of vodka.

[Shaddie 1651]

Nothing better than a double Tito’s with a couple ice cubes and a big squeeze of lime. 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19103]

Nevermind.

 

 

[Anastasis 23475]

I drink Deep Eddy most of the time, but got nothing against Titos.  I remember when I used to be surprised to see it in a bar (or the plane) when I was travelling.  That was a long time ago.  That stuff is everywhere.  Good for him.  

[Iceman 2715]

We buy about 30% more vodka than US whisky?  damn...

Distilled spirits make up around 7% of the sales of alcoholic beverages. The largest sub-category of spirits is vodka with 34% of cases sold, followed by whiskey with 24% and miscellaneous specialty spirits at 12%. Wines make up around 11% of the alcoholic beverage market.

[GreenspointTexas 9609]

13 minutes ago, Iceman said:

We buy about 30% more vodka than US whisky?  damn...

Distilled spirits make up around 7% of the sales of alcoholic beverages. The largest sub-category of spirits is vodka with 34% of cases sold, followed by whiskey with 24% and miscellaneous specialty spirits at 12%. Wines make up around 11% of the alcoholic beverage market.

Im shocked vodka isnt higher

 

with craft beer being only about 10% of the beer market sales, its just further proof that the average american has really shitty taste in alcohol

 

if im going to put something in my body that harms my liver, harms my brain, increases my risk for cancer, has empty calories, and costs more than water, then im sure as fuck gonna make it a good choice of poison

 

vodka is by far the worst major spirit category in the world, for numerous reasons

[MontereyMX 869]

48 minutes ago, Shaddie said:

Nothing better than a double Tito’s with a couple ice cubes and a big squeeze of lime. 

Squeeze of lemon is better!   

[HouTex 1878]

Vodka and Fresca with a lime is a great summer drink. But any vodka will do.

[Shaddie 1651]

9 minutes ago, MontereyMX said:

Squeeze of lemon is better!   

Heathen!!!!!

[MontereyMX 869]

1 minute ago, Shaddie said:

Heathen!!!!!

Thanks, been called worse! lol

[Neonmoon 38129]

I switch off between Tito’s, Dripping Springs, and Reyka 

[After irth 1243]

Never liked Tito’s. People look at me like I’m crazy when I say that. Not gonna talk shit about it. Just don’t like it. 

Is that wrong?

[midtown 3346]

21 minutes ago, After irth said:

Never liked Tito’s. People look at me like I’m crazy when I say that. Not gonna talk shit about it. Just don’t like it.

90% of people couldnt' tell the difference between most vodkas.    Me likely included.  It just sounds cool to order titos.  Personal I'm a Stoli guy.

3 hours ago, Hornius Emeritus said:

The #1 selling distilled spirit in the U.S. is made right here in Austin, Texas

San Antonio gives you Tito, Whataburger, (sort of) and HEB (sort of) and Austin gives SA shitty chains like Torchys.  Fuck this shit.

Edited January 16, 2020 by midtown

[Mach 1 1677]

This is fucking amazing.

I met the dude at a Mexican resort around 20 years ago.  Super nice guy, think he was with his fiancé or recent bride at the time.  The vodka had just started showing up at bars a few months before our trip. I remember looking over the vodka bottles and asking the bartender  "what the fuck is that, a vodka from Texas?"  Thought it was a gimmick, had one, moved on.

I can't remember if he actually introduced himself as Tito, but the conversation quickly went to his vodka business.  I asked him how he got a Texas vodka in bars outside Texas, and IIRC, he said he had to get to 200k cases before he could get a distribution deal.  To get that he had to drive his truck all over the state hand deliver cases to bars. He busted his ass to sell his product, and eventually hit the number and a distributor picked up his product.  20 years ago he seemed relieved to have made it over the hump to afford a nice resort vacation; now he must be laughing like Charlton Heston.

I can take his vodka or leave it, but I buy it now and then knowing it's a great entrepreneurship story.

csb/ a Tito's add popped up on my computer when I was drunk on Tito's a few years ago.  I sent an email to the company email address saying something to the effect of "Hey man, remember me, congratulations on your success!"  I never heard back. /csb

[Surly Bevo 25009]

2 hours ago, Iceman said:

We buy about 30% more vodka than US whisky?  damn...

Distilled spirits make up around 7% of the sales of alcoholic beverages. The largest sub-category of spirits is vodka with 34% of cases sold, followed by whiskey with 24% and miscellaneous specialty spirits at 12%. Wines make up around 11% of the alcoholic beverage market.

Bitches man....

[Buzzrock 14922]

And man-bitches

[RPM 26322]

I met Bert Beveridge, Jr when I worked for Centennial and he was just starting out. He was doing tastings all over the state and stopped in our store several times in his old red suv (pretty sure it was an Isuzu Trooper). Anyway, he was the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet. Talked about starting from less than scratch, maxing out his credit cards and fighting the TABC. Bumped into him a few years later after things really started going for him and he was still the same old Tito. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. BTW, Tito is short for Bertito (Little Bert).

[futureman 22472]

33 minutes ago, Mach 1 said:

20 years ago he seemed relieved to have made it over the hump to afford a nice resort vacation; now he must be laughing like Charlton Heston.

he’s a good humble dude.  still lives in the same nondescript house in tarrytown that he lived in when you met him. 

[DalTxHornFan 3104]

Vodka is vodka once you get past the really lower bottom shelf stuff.  Plus, most of you heathens mix it with other stuff when you drink it, so you couldn't possibly know the difference between Tito's and any other decent vodka.  Kudo's to Tito's for their marketing.  And that's all I've got to say about that. 

[ChiTownDoc 21154]

2 hours ago, Shaddie said:

Nothing better than a double Tito’s with a couple ice cubes and a big squeeze of lime. 

My go to.  Can have a dozen of em and fine next day.  Small splash of water to help w the dehydration when boozing all day.  

[GreenspointTexas 9609]

And hes a Texas Ex

[Hornius Emeritus 12469]

6 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

And hes a Texas Ex

He also donates money to Longhorn athletics from what I hear. So by drinking Tito's you're helping the team.  It's a virtuous circle. 

[DCA_HORN 725]

That's really surprising.  Not surprised Tito's is a top selling vodka, but Smirnoff sells a gotdam ocean's worth of vodka.

I stopped buying Tito's when I realized its 15 bucks more than Smirnoff at my local liquor store.

[JimmyRussels 14]

21 minutes ago, DCA_HORN said:

4 hours ago, Sbbruin said:

That's really surprising.  Not surprised Tito's is a top selling vodka, but Smirnoff sells a gotdam ocean's worth of vodka.

I stopped buying Tito's when I realized its 15 bucks more than Smirnoff at my local liquor store.

It’s 12 bucks at Costco if you can stand Kirkland instead of Tito’s on the label.

[blacklab 11940]

last August wife comes home from party and asks if there is a restaurant or bar or something named Tito's? I met a guy named Tito at the party, talked to him for over an hour.

me: there's a vodka named Tito's.

her: no, not vodka, he owns a distillery or something.

me: a distillery is where they make vodka.

her: oh, that's why all the cups and bottles at the party said Tito's on them, I thought tito's was a restaurant or something

we have a bottle of Tito's in our bar. My wife has poured Tito's into her glass multiple times. The week before we were in Tahoe I pointed out a Tito's billboard saying it's made in Austin.

 

[JimmyRussels 14]

14 minutes ago, blacklab said:

last August wife comes home from party and asks if there is a restaurant or bar or something named Tito's? I met a guy named Tito at the party, talked to him for over an hour.

 

Pics?

[blacklab 11940]

[JimmyRussels 14]

8 minutes ago, blacklab said:

Rep if I had some , but you brought it. Love the site, thanks.

[RPM 26322]

4 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Vodka is vodka once you get past the really lower bottom shelf stuff.  Plus, most of you heathens mix it with other stuff when you drink it, so you couldn't possibly know the difference between Tito's and any other decent vodka.  Kudo's to Tito's for their marketing.  And that's all I've got to say about that. 

One difference about Tito's and other vodka is it made with 100% corn. That was one thing he was proud of. It was his Grandfather's recipe.

[Landomatic 3813]

10 hours ago, Anastasis said:

I remember when I used to be surprised to see it in a bar (or the plane) when I was travelling.  That was a long time ago.  That stuff is everywhere.  Good for him.  

I remember the first time seeing it outside of Texas at a place I was pretty shocked by.  Maybe around 12-15 years ago or so, I was at the pool at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in Hollywood.  One of the coolest little, one part rock and roll, one part swanky, boutique hotels in the world.  Walked up to the little cabana bar, which was on the smaller side with limited offerings (like most small pool bars), and I'll be damned...they've got Tito's.

Also, Hulk Hogan was one of the only other people at the pool that day.../csb

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

5 hours ago, blacklab said:

last August wife comes home from party and asks if there is a restaurant or bar or something named Tito's? I met a guy named Tito at the party, talked to him for over an hour.

me: there's a vodka named Tito's.

her: no, not vodka, he owns a distillery or something.

me: a distillery is where they make vodka.

her: oh, that's why all the cups and bottles at the party said Tito's on them, I thought tito's was a restaurant or something

we have a bottle of Tito's in our bar. My wife has poured Tito's into her glass multiple times. The week before we were in Tahoe I pointed out a Tito's billboard saying it's made in Austin.

 

I think there's a thread in Lulz for that story.

[CooterBrown 18014]

last August wife comes home from party and asks if there is a restaurant or bar or something named Tito's? I met a guy named Tito at the party, talked to him for over an hour...

Isn’t your wife due in May?

[utee94 15827]

Tito has always been really generous with charitable causes.  He was our first liquor manufacturer to sponsor our charitable tailgate party, almost 20 years ago.  Live Oak Brewery was our beer sponsor and the owner told us about this new Texas-Ex-owned distillery that might be interested.  He used to come to our tailgate party, but we kind of aged up, he started sponsoring dozens of them, and then eventually he hit the big time.

It's a good story and I'm happy for him.

When we first got hooked up with his business, he took me though the distillery.  It was a tiny operation at the time, with a small hand-bottling rig. We passed a section of tubing that was pouring warm alcohol into a vat, it was the end of the 6th and final distillation step.  He pulled the tube out and let some pour into his mouth, then offered me some, and I couldn't believe how good it tasted.  I've never been much of a vodka guy, but it was really great that day.  Maybe part of it was just the experience.  He had whole pallets of reject cases where the labels were applied upside down.  He wouldn't let me take those for the tailgate party-- it's bad for branding-- but he did give me several cases to use for personal consumption.  I'll always like that guy.

 

Edited January 16, 2020 by utee94

[futureman 22472]

7 hours ago, blacklab said:

last August wife comes home from party and asks if there is a restaurant or bar or something named Tito's? I met a guy named Tito at the party, talked to him for over an hour.

me: there's a vodka named Tito's.

her: no, not vodka, he owns a distillery or something.

me: a distillery is where they make vodka.

her: oh, that's why all the cups and bottles at the party said Tito's on them, I thought tito's was a restaurant or something

we have a bottle of Tito's in our bar. My wife has poured Tito's into her glass multiple times. The week before we were in Tahoe I pointed out a Tito's billboard saying it's made in Austin.

 

cherish her. 

[Steamboat1874 4067]

Tito's was also the first legal distillery in the state of Texas since prohibition which began100 years ago today.

['stache 21818]

12 hours ago, After irth said:

Never liked Tito’s. People look at me like I’m crazy when I say that. Not gonna talk shit about it. Just don’t like it. 

Is that wrong?

I'm legitimately curious, what do you "not like" about Titos? Vodka by definition is supposed to be neutral in flavor. Outside the bottom shelf stuff which is probably cut with turpentine or something, how does not decide they like Titos over Smirnoff or any other regular brand? I don't drink vodka much if at all anymore but I have a bottle of Stolis in my cabinet because it is vodka and not the ditch water stuff.

[AustinMT 952]

Was all over France and Italy when we were there last year

[Al_4_ISU 12464]

This guy has something to do with it.

[HouTex 1878]

I'm legitimately curious, what do you "not like" about Titos? Vodka by definition is supposed to be neutral in flavor. Outside the bottom shelf stuff which is probably cut with turpentine or something, how does not decide they like Titos over Smirnoff or any other regular brand? I don't drink vodka much if at all anymore but I have a bottle of Stolis in my cabinet because it is vodka and not the ditch water stuff.

I’m with you and I drink a lot of vodka in the summer. But several of my friends swear they can tell the difference in vodkas even when it’s in a cocktail.

[Buzzrock 14922]

It’s 12 bucks at Costco if you can stand Kirkland instead of Tito’s on the label.

I thought Kirkland vodka was widely rumored to be Goose.

[Hornius Emeritus 12469]

Company I worked for had a great programmer who was also an alcoholic. He kept a bottle of Titos in his desk at all times and drank it with cranberry juice.  He thought, because it was vodka, that nobody could tell but, of course, everybody knew. You'd go into his office at about 2:00 p.m. and it smelled like the inside of the Titos distillery.  But he was a monster coder so nobody cared or said anything to him. All the dude did was drink vodka and code.  I'd leave at 9:00 p.m. some nights and he'd be there behind his computer monitor, three sheets to the wind and coding like a son of a bitch.   

[JimmyRussels 14]

2 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

 

I thought Kirkland vodka was widely rumored to be Goose.

 

That’s the expensive stuff. The $12.99  1.75 L Kirkland jug tastes like Tito’s to me .  YMMV 

[Wally Pryor 5261]

14 hours ago, Hornius Emeritus said:

He also donates money to Longhorn athletics from what I hear. So by drinking Tito's you're helping the team.  It's a virtuous circle. 

 

Company as a whole is extremely generous.   

[Doc Reeves 6434]

Started buying Tito’s in 2000(?) when I was at UT and haven’t looked back. A handle was 19.99 and the clerk would always say how they were great but their distribution sucked. Looks like the fixed that. It’s not the best vodka on the market but it’s head and shoulders better that Absolute or Smirnoff.

[workswithseed 2112]

16 hours ago, midtown said:

90% of people couldnt' tell the difference between most vodkas.    Me likely included.  It just sounds cool to order titos.  Personal I'm a Stoli guy.

San Antonio gives you Tito, Whataburger, (sort of) and HEB (sort of) and Austin gives SA shitty chains like Torchys.  Fuck this shit.

And Frito pie

[GreenspointTexas 9609]

Arguing about the best vodka is like arguing about the best light beer...

 

95% of u motherfuckers couldnt tell the difference between “brands” blindfolded

[BabaYaga 15301]

19 hours ago, Hornius Emeritus said:

Quite an amazing story. The #1 selling distilled spirit in the U.S. is made right here in Austin, Texas, baby. Knocked Smirnoff vodka off the throne it had occupied for 10 years:


https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/titos-handmade-vodka-is-now-the-top-selling-distilled-spirit-in-the-u-s-report-says/

Did my part last night @ Jasper's in Richardson.  I have a neighbor who's father is 100% motherland-Russian.  Dude knows his "Wod-ka" and had a few bottles for us to try.  I've become a big fan.  

[After irth 1243]

5 hours ago, 'stache said:

I'm legitimately curious, what do you "not like" about Titos? Vodka by definition is supposed to be neutral in flavor. Outside the bottom shelf stuff which is probably cut with turpentine or something, how does not decide they like Titos over Smirnoff or any other regular brand? I don't drink vodka much if at all anymore but I have a bottle of Stolis in my cabinet because it is vodka and not the ditch water stuff.

Vodka is neutral in flavor.  OK...I guess I can roll with that.  Flavorless, however?  Not hardly.  Although, some vodkas are pretty bland.  Stoli falls into that category for me, but I drank a LOT of Stoli Peppar back in the day.  

Tito's seemed a bit...raw...to me.  Granted, I developed this opinion back in the late 90s when it first came out.  Other than seeing it throughout Texas, I never gave much thought to the brand at all until I moved to Florida in 2015 and realized that it was everywhere and (seemingly) universally popular.  I think his success is awesome.  He's a master of marketing his craft (a la Jim Koch).  

Ah well...subjective opinions are subjective.  

We consume a lot of vodka martinis in this house.  Only two brands make the cut (and permanently reside in our freezer):  Ketel One and Finlandia.  

['stache 21818]

Maybe a dumb question. But if Tito's is made from distilled corn, how is it different from "White Dog" distilled from corn, which my understanding is just the distilled spirit for whiskey but not placed in oak barrels (hence not whiskey but white dog).