Tito's Handmade Vodka

In 1995, Bert “Tito” Beveridge obtained the first legal permit to distill in Texas and created Tito’s Handmade Vodka, though it wasn't quite as simple as all that. In a pre-Internet era, Beveridge had to teach himself the art of distilling, and racked up almost $90,000 in debt on 19 credit cards while couch-surfing to pay to start the business. The risk paid off—today, Tito's Handmade Vodka is one of the most well-known distilleries in vodka, and with good reason.