There’s a certain refined pleasure that comes with cocktail hour at home, making it one of our favourite autumn delights. Orchestrate the perfect night in with two seasonal cocktails by Tito’s Handmade vodka – and discover a chance to win dinner and cocktails for you and a guest …
It’s Friday night. The clock turns five. The evening draws in. It’s officially cocktail hour.
Many of us are opting for nights in over nights out this autumn. As the cost-of-living crisis dominates, and we all begin to tighten our belts, entertaining at home may become a necessity – but no less pleasurable. We can orchestrate a perfectly pleasant night “out” in the comfort of our own homes with the help of a few essential pieces of kit and the right supplies. In fact, there’s an old-school glamour that comes with the idea of cocktail hour at home… Get dressed up, prepare some nibbles, let a record spin on the turntable and dim the lights as you prepare your bar cart and serve an apéritif. (Note: good glassware is essential to create a sense of occasion.)
But what are you drinking? Celebrating 25 years in business this year, let us introduce you to Tito’s Handmade Vodka, the best-selling spirit in the United States – luckily for us, it is now available in discerning bars and retail outlets across Ireland.
Before Tito Beveridge (talk about nominative determinism!) became the founder and master distiller of Tito’s Handmade Vodka, he was known as “the vodka guy”. Back in the 1990s and short on funds, he would create vodka infusions to give as gifts to friends and family. Taking a Mason Jar, Tito would add fresh ingredients like fruits, chillies, even coffee, and then add the cheapest vodka he could find and present his gift after a couple of weeks of infusion.
With a dream of doing something big, Tito sat down one night with a blank piece of paper. Drawing a line down the middle, on one side he wrote what he was good at, and on the other side what he enjoyed doing. The result? Tito’s Handmade Vodka – America’s Original Craft Vodka.
On a twelve-acre plot outside Austin, Tito built the first legal distillery in Texas. Using old fashioned pot stills, the vodka continues to be distilled in small batches and every batch is taste tested. It is distilled six times, a process similar to that used to make the finest single malt whiskies. Distilled from corn, so naturally gluten free, Tito’s is one of the cleanest spirits available and so smooth you can even drink it straight.
The gentle sweet taste, informed by being distilled from corn, and the warm smoothness of Tito’s makes it the perfect base for cocktails. To inspire you to sample America’s favourite spirit we have chosen a couple of our favourite Tito’s cocktail recipes for you to try at home.
So gather your friends, get out your best glassware and roll out the drinks trolley – it’s time to try these classic Tito’s cocktails …
Tito’s Classic Cosmo
1 ½ oz Tito’s Handmade Vodka
1 oz Orange Liqueur
¾ oz fresh lime juice
1 splash cranberry juice
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
Shake and strain into a martini glass.
Garnish with an orange twist or lime slice.
Tito’s Cranberry Mule
1 ½ oz Tito’s Handmade Vodka
3 oz ginger beer
½ oz lime juice
½ oz cranberry juice
Add all ingredients to a Tito’s Copper Mug, or large glass, with ice.
Stir and garnish with a lime slice.
Celebrate with Tito’s Handmade Vodka and win a bespoke cocktail experience
Distilled in Austin Texas, Tito’s Handmade Vodka is celebrating its 25th anniversary and would like to treat one reader and a guest to a cocktail masterclass with a leading mixologist. What better way to enjoy your Tito’s cocktails than with a dine at home voucher for two?
To enter simply answer the following question:
Where is Tito’s Handmade Vodka distilled?
