We don’t drink a lot of vodka. Certainly not straight. But Tito’s Handmade Vodka could change that. Their process makes for the smoothest vodka around. So smooth, they call it “sippin’ vodka.”
Nicole Portwood, Tito’s brand manager, tells us more:
DIA: Define “handmade.”
NICOLE: Rather than using machines to tell us when the product is ready, we use a person: Tito.
Tito Beveridge (real name, no #$%*) has an amazing palate and tastes each batch to define readiness. Other distillers use an electro spectrometer.
He also tastes the corn himself. And builds the 60,000-gallon copper kettles himself (he’s an engineer). Other distillers use column stills. Not using columns allows for precise controls and allows us to remove heads and tails.
DIA: Heads and tails? Never mind. Just tell us what that means to the taste.
NICOLE: Distilling it six times seems to be the magic number. Any more robs the taste. Any less leaves impurities.
DIA: Sounds like a lot of trial and error. What do you do with the “flunkie” bottles?
NICOLE: We sell what doesn’t go into bottles as biofuel.
DIA: Seriously? Didn’t Tito used to be a Texas oilman?
NICOLE: Ironic, isn’t it?
See the whole handmade story at titosvodka.com. While you’re there, drool over the recipes, like our favorite:
Banana Nut Bread Martini
- 1 oz Titos Vodka
- ½ oz Crème de Banana
- ½ oz Frangelico