Tito 's Vodka - Wikipedia Tito 's Vodka Tito 's Handmade Vodka is a vodka produced in Austin, Texas, ( in the state 's first legal distillery ) established by Tito Beveridge. Prided for being handmade, the vodka is also notable for being made from yellow corn, instead of the more commonly used potatoes or wheat. Using corn results in a mildly sweet aftertaste. The vodka has been advertised as gluten free. Contents 1 Founder 2 History 3 Controversy 4 References 5 External links Founder Bert Butler `` Tito '' Beveridge II is a native of San Antonio, Texas. He received the diminutive nickname `` Bertito '', shortened to `` Tito '', from his Latino caregivers in childhood. Tito attended the University of Texas where he became a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. History Beveridge first produced his spirits as a hobby after making some as gifts and using a pot still. Commercial production began in 1997 when Beveridge formed Fifth Generation, Inc., and established the Mockingbird Distillery, producing just 1,000 cases that year. In 2007, he sold over 160,000 cases. All production is still maintained at the southeast Austin distillery, where he has expanded the number of pot stills and bottling lines. Tito 's Handmade Vodka has gained market share thanks to some prestigious awards, affordable pricing, and word of mouth advertising. Sales and distribution boomed in 2001 after Tito 's Handmade Vodka unanimously won the Double Gold Medal for vodka at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, beating out 71 high - priced vodkas. Also that year, it received a four - star ranking from Spirit Journal and won four stars again in the 2007 edition. Tito 's has also received multiple Growth Brand Awards by the Beverage Information Group, a beverage alcohol research firm. Tito 's is distributed throughout the United States and Canada. Also in 2013, Tito 's Handmade Vodka became the exclusive vodka brand served on all United Airlines, American Airlines, and Jet Blue flights. Controversy In 2014, two false advertising lawsuits were filed against Tito 's in California and Florida. The California lawsuit alleges that Tito 's vodka can not be described `` handmade '' because it is made from `` commercially manufactured ' neutral grain spirit ' that is trucked and pumped into Tito 's industrial facility '' among other claims. Since the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which regulates labeling of liquor in the US, does not actually define `` handmade, '' both lawsuits rely on the dictionary definition of the word. The main lawsuits, Hofmann v. Fifth Generation, Inc. and Cabrera v. Fifth Generation, Inc., were dismissed in May 2016. References Jump up ^ Marshall, Wes ( 2002 - 04 - 19 ). `` How a little Austin distillery caught the attention of worldwide vodka drinkers ''. Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2007 - 06 - 04. ^ Jump up to : `` Tito 's Handmade Vodka ( 1L ) ''. craftspiritsxchange.com. Retrieved December 8, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Heinz, John ( February 1, 2010 ). `` Tito 's Handmade Vodka ''. Ocean Drive Magazine. Retrieved December 8, 2017 -- via oceandrive.com. Jump up ^ Stewart, Amy ( 2013 ). The Drunken Botanist. Algonquin Books. p. 49. ^ Jump up to : `` Vodka Fest with Gin 2006 - Tampa Tasting Notes ''. polishedpalate.com. The Polished Palate, LLC. Retrieved December 8, 2017. Jump up ^ `` 2001 Awards Winning Spirits '' ( PDF ). sfspiritscomp.com. San Francisco Word Spirits Competition. p. 7. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on July 3, 2008. Retrieved December 8, 2017. Jump up ^ Crider, Kitty ( May 12, 2005 ). `` The Fortunate 500 : Food and drink stars : People who toast the foodie social scene ''. Austin American - Statesman. Archived from the original on 2008 - 04 - 16. Retrieved 2007 - 06 - 04 -- via austin360.com. Jump up ^ Green, Shelton ( May 11, 2013 ). `` High - Flying Spirits : Tito 's Vodka now exclusive to United Airlines ''. culturemap.com. KVUE News. Retrieved December 8, 2017. Jump up ^ Dinges, Gary ( 26 September 2014 ). `` Lawsuit : Tito 's vodka is n't actually ' handmade ' ''. Austin American - Statesman. Retrieved 4 April 2015. Jump up ^ Matus, Victorino ( 19 October 2014 ). `` A Vodka With a Twist of Tort ''. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 4 April 2015. Jump up ^ Lehrman, Robert ( 18 May 2016 ). `` Main Tito 's Case Dismissed ''. Lehrman 's Beverage Law. Retrieved 18 May 2016. External links Official website This Texas - related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. This distilled beverage -- related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tito%27s_Vodka&oldid=833993941 '' Categories : Companies based in Austin, Texas American vodkas Texas stubs Distilled drink stubs Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 3 April 2018, at 11 : 24. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who is the founder of tito's vodka
Answer: Tito Beveridge