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No way that vodka's handmade, Jersey guys' lawsuit claims
Posted on 1/7/15 at 12:38 pm
Posted on 1/7/15 at 12:38 pm
quote:
A couple of New Jersey guys are out to prove a Texas company’s boast that it distills its vodka in an “old-fashioned pot still” is a lie.
Marc McBrearty and Paul Cantilina are suing Tito’s Handmade Vodka on behalf of themselves and fellow vodka drinkers, claiming the company actually mass-produces its brand from "neutral grain spirit" pumped into industrial vats at a factory in Austin.
“Defendants acted improperly and deceitfully by manufacturing, distributing, marketing and selling Tito’s Handmade Vodka with false ‘Handmade’ labels and with related misrepresentations claiming that the product was handmade when the product is in fact commercially manufactured in a large factory facility,” the lawsuit says.
This is interesting and potentially helpful because a definition of "handmade" may ensue from this lawsuit.
quote:
Tito’s website describes how the company makes its vodka.
“It is microdistilled in an old-fashioned pot still, just like fine single malt scotches and high-end French cognacs,” the website reads. “This time-honored method of distillation requires more skill and effort than modern column stills, but it’s well worth it.”
If you know just a little about the distillation process (and I do from college chemistry) you'd know how much bullshite this statement is. Is is possible to manufacture vodka from a pot still? Sure. Is is cost effective? Hell no. Tito's would be out of business simply from the energy consumption required to make that many passes though a pot still to get to the legal definition of vodka.
At best, Tito's is buying corn ethanol from a midwestern ethanol plant (same plants that make ethanol for our cars) at 190 and then running it through their pot still. They are not mashing grains, making distillers beer and then distilling the beer to make vodka. They are buying 190 neutral grain spirit, maybe running it through their pot still one time, cutting it to 80 and selling it as vodka. Hell, 90% of the vodka producers on the market do the same thing. But just don't call it "handmade".
LINK
7
Posted on 1/7/15 at 12:40 pm to GumboPot
quote:
At best, Tito's is buying corn ethanol from a midwestern ethanol plant (same plants that make ethanol for our cars) at 190 and then running it through their pot still. They are not mashing grains, making distillers beer and then distilling the beer to make vodka. They are buying 190 neutral grain spirit, maybe running it through their pot still one time, cutting it to 80 and selling it as vodka. Hell, 90% of the vodka producers on the market do the same thing. But just don't call it "handmade".
That would be my bet as to what they are doing.
Most of those other 90% probably don't even bother distilling it again though. Cut and bottle, then market like crazy.
Posted on 1/7/15 at 12:48 pm to GumboPot
quote:
At best, Tito's is buying corn ethanol from a midwestern ethanol plant (same plants that make ethanol for our cars) at 190 and then running it through their pot still. They are not mashing grains, making distillers beer and then distilling the beer to make vodka. They are buying 190 neutral grain spirit, maybe running it through their pot still one time, cutting it to 80 and selling it as vodka. Hell, 90% of the vodka producers on the market do the same thing. But just don't call it "handmade".
that's exactly what they are doing. Tito's has been mentioned in many articles talking about the wave of non-distilling whiskey (mainly rye) producers that have popped up in the US in the last couple years.
here is an example... LINK and LINK
This post was edited on 1/7/15 at 12:52 pm
Posted on 1/7/15 at 12:55 pm to LSUBoo
quote:
Most of those other 90% probably don't even bother distilling it again though. Cut and bottle, then market like crazy.
Yep.
I believe the consumer is getting more educated about the saturated vodka market. Lots of smaller craft distillers are purposely making their vodka with a hint of flavor from the source grain. It's nice to find a vodka without an overly chemical astringent taste with a few esters left over from the grains that smooths the spirit out.
Posted on 1/7/15 at 1:04 pm to GumboPot
What a stupid thing to sue over.
Posted on 1/7/15 at 1:46 pm to mouton
quote:
What a stupid thing to sue over.
Truth in labeling?
I disagree.
Posted on 1/7/15 at 1:59 pm to GumboPot
It's like all those "craft" bourbons that buy spirits from Acme Spritis Inc, stick it in a 5 gallon barrel for a year, and then sell it as their own.
Posted on 1/7/15 at 2:02 pm to GumboPot
Bayou Blitz is not going to like this.
Posted on 1/7/15 at 2:05 pm to GumboPot
I don't know much about distilling but I always assumed the "handmade" thing with Tito's was a crock of shite. It's a realativly cheap vodka and available just about anywhere you go. So either they lying or they had a shite load of messicans.
Posted on 1/7/15 at 2:19 pm to LSUballs
quote:
I don't know much about distilling but I always assumed the "handmade" thing with Tito's was a crock of shite. It's a realativly cheap vodka and available just about anywhere you go. So either they lying or they had a shite load of messicans.
With distilling all you are doing is separating the components in a mixture based on their boiling points. You can distill Natty Light and make vodka. The point with is suit is, truth in labeling. The spirits industry has gotten away with much ambiguous labeling because distilling is so "mysterious" to the general public. Lawsuits like this tell me the public is beginning to catch-up regardless if the plaintiffs win or not. You can rest assured that the bigs will back Tito's in their defense. They don't want the term "handmade" defined.
Posted on 1/7/15 at 2:25 pm to GumboPot
Just get P Diddy to market your stuff them go up by a third on the price.
fricking Ciroc used to be a good deal until this bullshite.
fricking Ciroc used to be a good deal until this bullshite.
Posted on 1/7/15 at 3:39 pm to fightin tigers
I don't drink Tito's because it's allegedly homemade. I drink it because I like it.
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