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.