New York Bartending School

New York Bartending School regularly has Brand Ambassadors from leading Spirit Wine and Beer companies, both National and International, conduct seminars for our students and graduates. These seminars give our students an opportunity to learn about different aspects of the Bar and Restaurant industry.

We recently had Rich Nestro Brand Ambassador from Titos Vodka Stop by New York Bartending School to tell us a little bit more about Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

The story of Tito’s Vodka is a fascinating one: A man named Tito Beveridge was a geophysicist with a side hobby of making flavored vodka for his friends. After years of friends’ encouragement and talking with bartenders who said they would love a smooth vodka that people could drink straight, he decided to learn how to distill his own liquor. Thanks to his scientific skills, passion for perfection, and 19 maxed-out credit cards, Tito got the first distillery license in Texas and created a brilliant vodka that is designed to be savored by spirit connoisseurs and everyday drinkers alike. It is micro distilled in an old-fashioned pot still, just like fine single malt scotches and high-end French cognacs. One day a fan of his vodka suggested that he enter it into the World Spirits Competition. Beveridge couldn’t attend himself, so he sent up a few bottles. It was named a Double Gold Medal winner.

Over time word of mouth fueled the expansion of Tito’s Vodka. Sales went from 1,000 cases in 1997 to currently more than 200,000 cases each year. During our session at New York Bartending School I learned a few other stories of the world of Tito and its bootstrap marketing. Tito spent most of his time stoking fans’ passion by responding to emails, managing a blog, and sending vodka to parties. According to Rich, “Everything about Tito’s marketing success has come from people’s love for the brand.”

He told our students attending the Day class at New York Bartending School how Tito designed the label and logo for the brand by himself on his basement computer. Tito seems unconcerned with selling out or taking the world by storm. He is a complex guy who has several other hobbies and has some clever ideas about clean energy and improving the world. If you’d like to find out more about the Tito’s Vodka story and where to purchase a bottle distributors are located on their website at Titosvodka.com

We’d like to thank Rich for stopping by New York Bartending School and sharing with us a great American success story

New York Bartending School Review:

The Shot

I wasn’t expecting anything, but I was floored by this vodka. The shot, even warm, is completely neutral. Tito’s Handmade Vodka is simply ethanol and water. The only taste is the standard ethanol burn. The shot went down smooth and required no chaser. Tito’s vodka achieved the goal of making vodka even girls could drink straight. This is a wonderful shooting vodka.

The Mixed Drink

We mixed Tito’s Handmade Vodka with some Orange Juice. The screwdriver is what you’d expect if you were mixing water with your orange juice instead of vodka. The vodka doesn’t alter the flavor at all beyond making the orange juice taste slightly diluted as though you left ice cubes sitting in it.