Archive for the ‘Tito’s Vodka’ tag
Tasting ‘The Ring of Fire’
Titos Vodka - The Ring of Fire - Tasting Room at Tales of the Cocktail 09
Arrival into New Orleans started with a bit of delay due to storms, but the party started long before I arrived. On my list to see first at Tales of the Cocktail ‘09:
Tito’s Vodka & “The Ring of Fire” created by Ranch 616. This little doozy of a cocktail is served in a hollowed out jalapeño pepper with cayenne chili mix circling the rim. Inside is a special concoction of Tito-rita created with Tito’s Vodka, Paula’s Texas Orange Liqueur and other special secrets. This is followed immediately by beer chaser. A little messy, but quite tasty!
Tasting The Ring of Fire with Titos Vodka at Tales of the Cocktail 2009
Meeting Tito at Tales of the Cocktail 09 at The Ring of Fire tasting event
Tales of the Cocktail on Twitter: @totc
The Intoxicologist on Twitter: @intoxicologist
Copyright 2009 Cheri Loughlin – The Intoxicologist – All Rights Reserved
Tito’s Vodka Sends ‘Thank You’ to Fans
Tito’s Handmade Vodka Sends Grassroots ‘THANK YOU’ to Fans
Tito’s Handmade Vodka launches Tito’s Official Tasters, a ‘handmade’ loyalty program, to thank fans responsible for growing the brand strictly through word-of-mouth.
AUSTIN, Texas, June 9 /PRNewswire/ – Created by founder and savant distiller, Bert Tito Beveridge III, Tito’s Handmade Vodka has grown in 12 years from a few bottles crafted as gifts for friends, to a 200,000-plus case volume brand, with increasingly wide distribution throughout the USA and in Canada – with no investors, and an extremely humble marketing budget.
The brand’s growth was kick-started by a well-known Las Vegas mixologist, Tony Abu Ganim, who discovered Tito’s Handmade Vodka and championed it to the extent of entering it into the Worlds Spirit Competition where, in a stunning upset, it earned the Unanimous Judges Decision Double Gold Medal, beating the large imports and other super-premium contenders.
Austin is a proud town in a proud state, and soon its residents were taking Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and the story of Tito himself all over the world with them. His story struck a chord – lone visionary entrepreneur, the first distillery in Texas, a bootstrap distiller who still taste tests every batch to make sure it’s perfect – that made people cheer the brand on. Tito’s Handmade Vodka is for the people – a super-premium vodka selling for a fair price with no flashy packaging or pretense. And its growth has been fueled by the people – a legion of passionate fans, who talk Tito’s in person, on Facebook and on Twitter and have demanded it be carried in bars and liquor stores nationwide and in Canada.
Humbled, genuinely grateful and inundated with a daily flood of emails and posts, Tito is launching an online “Ambassador” program for fans – Tito’s Official Tasters. The online program will give Tito an organized, all-in-one way to stay in touch; and give Tito’s Handmade Vodka fans what they want – news, event updates, videos, special messages, vodka education, and rewards, including special gifts. As the program launches this month, fans are invited to take the online Tito’s Official Taster’s Pledge. And in typical Tito’s style, they won’t get a corporate form letter or any ordinary “thank you.” The first 1,000 Pledge-takers will receive a custom-crafted Tito’s belt buckle, crafted in America just like Tito’s Handmade Vodka.
The Tito back story is a significant reason why Tito’s Handmade Vodka has been embraced by so many super premium vodka fans. After he obtained the first permit to distill in Texas, he worked day and night in his one man-one room distillery, cooking vodka, catching some sleep on a cot. Originally his goal was to make enough money to “stay in Austin and go swimming at Barton Springs everyday.” Unable to get money from investors, he decided to “wing it” and used personal credit cards, up to 18 at one time, for financing. Eventually things started to fall into place, in spite of the trials of being one man-one vodka in a liquor business environment dominated by foreign corporate giants.
Today, despite the growth in his organization (up to 17 people now) Tito still works at the distillery every day when he’s not traveling to tasting events or being interviewed. For more information, or to schedule an interview with Tito Beveridge, please contact Beth Bellanti-Walker, Brand Manager, Fifth Generation Inc. Home of Tito’s Handmade Vodka Beth@titosvodka.com (512)389-9011 www.titosvodka.com
Tito’s Handmade Vodka
Beth Bellanti-Walker
Brand Manager of Fifth Generation Inc.,
+1-512-389-9011
Tito’s Handmade Vodka
· Tito’s Vodka: ‘Hot Brand’ Award
Tito’s Vodka: ‘Hot Brand’ Award
Tito’s Handmade Vodka Wins Prestigious ‘Hot Brand’ Award
AUSTIN, Texas, May 27 /PRNewswire/ — Fifth Generation’ s Tito’s Handmade Vodka recently was named a 2008 “Hot Brand” in the April issue of Impact Global Newsletter published by M. Shanken Communications, Inc., which also publishes Wine Spectator, Cigar Aficionado, Food Arts and Market Watch. Impact is the one source for information on the worldwide drinks market and the leading magazine for top spirits executives in more than 50 countries.
Winners of the “Hot Brand” award have achieved at least 15% growth between 2007 and 2008 with a volume requirement of min 200,000 cases. Over the past few years Tito’s Handmade Vodka had made the “Hot Prospect” list as one of the nation’s most promising spirits. This elevated recognition is the result of this American Craft Vodka’s loyal consumer fan base. The Tito’s Handmade Vodka consumer franchise grew very rapidly as distribution expanded and the brand launched its first National Magazine Ad campaign in 2008.
Founder and Master Distiller Tito Beveridge’s reaction to the award was one of very humbled thanks. “My goal 12 years ago was to produce a world class vodka that consumers could enjoy at a reasonable price. I’m proud that there still is opportunity in America for those that follow their dreams and are willing to work very hard to achieve them.”
This major accomplishment deserves acknowledgment, as Tito is still an independent distiller employing just 17 people at his small original distillery in Southeast Austin and handles all production and marketing in house. This achievement is even more impressive considering last year’s economic downturn negatively impacted many leading brands.
“We are thankful our distributor and trade partners were able to capitalize on the powerful combination Tito’s offers discerning consumers. Award winning Handmade American quality Vodka presented in an unpretentious package at a fair price is resonating extremely well with consumers looking for an alternative to the Mass produced brands,” said Peter Angus VP Sales.
Tito’s Handmade Vodka sales were approximately 250,000 9l cases in 2008 and achieved 25% percent growth from 2007 to 2008.
Founded in 1997, Bert “Tito” Beveridge, now a 40 something geophysicist obtained the first legal permit to distill in Texas and created Tito’s Handmade Vodka, distilling it 6 times from corn in an old fashioned pot still that he built himself. The vodka soon went on to win the prestigious Double Gold Unanimous Judges Choice at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and has been receiving critical acclaim ever since for its impeccably pure taste and affordability.
For more information, visit www.titosvodka.com or contact the company’s office at 512-389-9011.
Fifth Generation, Inc. Home of Tito’s Handmade Vodka
Tito’s Handmade Vodka
Beth Bellanti-Walker
Brand Manager of Tito’s Handmade Vodka
+1-512-389-9011
More Tito’s links from The Intoxicologist:
· Cheers! Tito’s Vodka – Mango Tito – created by The Intoxicologist
· Bloody Mary Sunday – Bloody Mary Vodka Infusion & Cocktail – created by The Intoxicologist
· Tito’s Handmade Vodka: Texas Vodka with American Spirit – Review with cocktail
Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary Vodka Infusion
For the vodka infusion you will need a lidded jar large enough to hold the following contents:
1 Bottle of Tito’s Vodka
1 Fresh Red Bell Pepper (seeded and sliced)
1 Fresh Jalapeño Pepper (seeded and sliced)
Whole Peeled Garlic Cloves (approximately 5 per liter of vodka)
Whole Black Peppercorns (1-2 per liter of vodka)
Funnel and cheesecloth for later use
Place all ingredients in the jar. Seal and place in the refrigerator for at least 48 hours. Ingredients may be left longer if desired, but this is not necessary. I recommend keeping the original liquor bottle to return the infused vodka to later. After 48 hours, remove the infusion from the refrigerator. Double up cheesecloth over the funnel and place funnel inside the Tito’s vodka bottle. Strain infusion into the original bottle, throwing out the peppers, garlic and remnants. Place infused vodka in the refrigerator or freezer for storage. Do not keep infused vodka at room temperature as it may mold.
Bloody Mary Recipe
2 ounces Tito’s Bloody Mary Infused Vodka
1/2 Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
6-8 Dashes Worcestershire Sauce
4-6 Dashes Tabasco Sauce
2-3 Dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
3 Dashes Celery Salt
2 Dashes White Pepper
2 Dashes Garlic Powder
2 Dashes Onion Powder
Clamato Juice
Coarse salt for rimming
Begin with a large Collins glass. Slide half of the fresh lime around the rim of the Collins glass. Dip the limed rim into a saucer of coarse salt. Fill the glass two-thirds full with ice. Season the ice with the peppers, salts and powders first, the Worcestershire, Tabasco and Peychaud’s next, and then the squeeze of lime. Shake the bottle of infused vodka before using as lingering pepper has a tendency to settle at the bottom. Lastly, top off your drink with Clamato juice. Clamato is thinner in consistency than either tomato or V8, making for a smoother textured drink.
Garnishing is key to the Bloody Mary and there is so much more than the mere celery stick. I like to use a skewer of queen sized jalapeño stuffed olives in addition to the celery stick to stir with. A pickle spear works quite nicely as well. A few cocktail shrimps speared and dunked go rather nicely with this drink. Go wild! The Bloody Mary is not just a drink. It is an event, a meal even. If you can find a spicy coarse salt for the rim garnish that would give this drink extra kick.
