The Fortunate 500: Food and drink stars

People who toast the foodie social scene

By Kitty Crider
May 12, 2005

Photo by Sung Park/AA-S TITO BEVERIDGE food/media/charity
THE FORTUNATE 500
All stars	Art stars
Music stars	Education/Charity stars
Food stars	Literary/Media stars
Heritage stars	Film stars
Business/High Tech stars	Politics/Law stars
Sports stars	Fashion stars
Part-time Austinites

Tito's Handmade Vodka, a double-gold-medal liquor, is one of the bestselling boozes in town. Its maker, Tito Beveridge, founder, president and namesake of this local business, is a community-minded father of three who says he donates product or time to practically every charity that asks.

"We tell our distributors nationwide that if there is a 501(c)3 charity looking for a donation to call us," Beveridge says. "My thinking is that if somebody is willing to spend the time to start a charity and run it, I'm happy to try to participate any way I can. Those people are the real heroes in a community. That is a selfless act they do. If there is anything I can do to help them promote their thing, I am happy to do it.

"You know, sometimes when you give people a few cocktails, that money pulls out a little easier," he says with a chuckle about folks who discover the next day the cost of their successful auction bids. Of course, it's always for a good cause.

Bert Butler Beveridge II, 43, grew up in San Antonio, where his mother was a volunteer, working for such things as a playground for a juvenile detention center. Named after his grandfather, he was called Bertito (Little Bert).

"I was always called Tito," he says. "I didn't know my name was Bert until I was 6."

Prior to starting his vodka business eight years ago, Tito worked in the oil and gas business, often in Latin America. "I was always broke so I didn't have time or money to give."

But then he came up with "this crazy idea to make vodka, and it kind of worked out." His vodka, distilled six times, is selling at the rate of half a million cases a year. And his generosity has grown with his success.

While Tito and his wife, Lori, are active on the social scene, with three youngsters, ages 8 to younger than 2, they find baby-sitter challenges curtailing some of those evenings out.

But Tito's product goes out even when he can't.

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