StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
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15 StateWays ■ www.stateways.com ■ September/October 2015 B R A N D S P O T L I G H T Q & A Crafted in Texas By Kyle Swartz T ito's Handmade Vodka was born of one man's passion. In the early '90s, Tito Beveridge was distill- ing vodka as a gift for friends. He opened the fi rst legal Texas distillery in 1997, and ever since has produced straight vodka. I recently spoke with Nicole A. Portwood, VP Brand Marketing for Tito's, about the spirit and its role in the expanding craft market. SW: What makes your product "craft" vodka? NP: For us, the core differentiators are Tito, the pot- distillation process, being an independent company and focusing on one brand. Tito's entrepreneurialism and pioneering craft approach date back to a time when there was no such thing as a micro-distillery. Our process hinges on human involvement, and we still have no fl avors or line extensions. We do one thing and we do it well. SW: How does vodka fi t into the overall craft category? NP: We think people are looking for qual- ity products that also have a real human story behind them. It's not enough to just make great vodka — people want to know the "why" behind it, to understand the depth and dynamics that brought it into being. That's a shift that we won't be going back on any time soon. SW: What do you gain from old-fashioned pot still distillation? NP: Pot distillation allows for more refi ned head and tail cuts, which we do primarily by taste. Tito stands by the process, despite the fact that it's much more time-consum- ing and not as effi cient as column distillation. It allows us to craft a soft, rounded feel. SW: What separates your vodka from others? NP: In addition to what I mentioned earlier, Tito's is made from corn, which not only makes it Gluten-Free, but also lends the spirit its slight sweetness, rounded shoulders and soft fi nish. We've stuck to doing one thing and doing it well for almost 20 years now, investing our resources into the liquid in the bottle rather than expen- sive packaging or marketing campaigns. SW: Are vodka connoisseurs on the rise? NP: Vodka is defi nitely gaining a newfound respect (or perhaps reclaiming is a better way to put it). Consumers are embracing in-home creativity with all the new information and tools avail- able to them - whether via home cocktail kits delivered right to your door, or instructional videos online. So, yes, connoisseurship is cer- tainly on the rise as education grows. SW: How is the vodka market in Texas? NP: It's good! Texas is our home state, and one that is not exactly known as a hotbed for vodka, being traditionally associated with brown spirits. We've found an amazing connection with fans here, and have even converted some avowed whiskey drinkers. SW: How has social media helped you grow? NP: Social media is the best tool around to have one- on-one conversations at scale. We have a lot of love for our fans, and we take our commitment to communicat- ing with them to heart. We handle all of that in-house because we believe in those human connections and are not comfortable farming them out to anyone not invested in the brand. It's defi nitely had an impact on our overall awareness, since people use the social space as a recommendation engine. We've been the incredibly fortunate benefi ciaries of a lot of word-of-mouth awareness, and social media is just another way people engage in that recommenda- tion activity. What makes your product "craft" vodka? For us, the core differentiators are Tito, the pot- distillation process, being an independent company and focusing on one brand. Tito's entrepreneurialism and pioneering craft approach date back to a time when there was no such thing as a micro-distillery. Our process hinges on human involvement, and