The shiny copper top of Tito’s Handmade Vodka bottles is instantly recognizable in any bar across the country. The brand may have humble roots as the oldest legal distillery in Texas, but these days drinkers from Los Angeles to New York City commonly order this vodka by name, including Jack, It has evolved to the level of Crown and Gray Goose. But Tito’s success wasn’t an overnight success, but rather “25 years of overnight success,” says Taylor Berry, vice president of brand marketing.
Tito’s celebrates its 25th anniversaryth As it celebrates its anniversary in 2022, the Austin-based company thought it was the perfect time to chronicle its history with dozens of cocktail recipes. The brand’s debut book, spirit in the bottle: Tito’s Homemade Vodka Story and Drinkswill be released by HarperCollins on May 7th, chronicling the company’s journey and offering a number of drinks.
The 192-page book includes a foreword by mixologist Tony Abou-Ghanim (modern mixologist) details his friendship with Tito founder Bert “Tito” Beveridge and the company’s rise to spirits stardom. The book begins with chapters on mixology basics, barware, and classic vodka-based cocktails like the Martini and Cosmopolitan, then dives into more creative interpretations inspired by everything from music to dogs. Masu.
It may seem strange to associate it with a drink, but dogs have been a part of Tito’s since its inception. When Beveridge started distilling vodka in a cabin in southeast Austin, his dog, Dog Joe, often accompanied him. Soon, stray dogs started showing up looking for food and shelter. The furry creatures are the inspiration for the brand’s Vodka for Dog People program, which sponsors numerous initiatives, including providing transportation to rescue dogs from dangerous situations such as natural disasters. Ta. The Berrymut His Tito cocktail featured in this book is made with blackberries, blueberries, mint and lime and is Beveridge’s ode to his beloved animals.
As deeply ingrained in Austin’s culture as our love of dogs is our lake life. The book features several cocktails inspired by Beveridge’s Saturdays spent fishing and hanging out with friends on Lake Austin. Breakfast on the Lake is more of a step-by-step guide than a recipe. He pours maple syrup and Tito into one glass and adds blueberry juice and crispy bacon slices.
“I think this is probably my favorite part of the whole book,” Berry says. “Overall, this is probably the most experiential cocktail we offer.”
If you want to make your vodka cocktails more bespoke, there’s a chapter on how to make infusions, which Beveridge did as a hobby before founding his company. Habanero infusion was one of his first experiments, and involves soaking one or two sliced, seeded habanero peppers in vodka until it’s comfortably hot.
But despite the relaxed, folksy energy that Tito exudes, becoming one of the country’s fastest-growing vodka brands is serious business. Wirecutter ranked Tito’s as one of his best vodkas among famous brands such as Smirnoff and Stolichnaya Vodka, praising its subtle sweetness. And drinkers tend to agree that: forbes The brand reported net assets of $6.8 billion in 2024, up from $4.6 billion last year.
According to Berry, it’s the “seemingly insignificant moments” like showing up at the Austin City Limits Festival or going to a local restaurant that have turned Tito’s into a powerhouse. “When you start writing the story in your head, you start to see how these little changes and people you met along the way changed the entire trajectory of this company growing into what it is today,” Berry said. says.
