Black Momma Vodka vs. Tito's: Crystal and Roger Call It

Behind the Pour

Tito's Handmade Vodka is the best-selling vodka in the United States — a Texas-made, corn-based, pot-still-distilled product that built its success on a craft story before craft spirits were mainstream. Black Momma Vodka, founded by Vanessa Braxton, is a woman-owned, Black-owned craft vodka that Crystal and Roger have tasted before — including on a distillery tour. This episode runs the direct comparison: same glassware, same conditions, two vodkas that both claim craft credentials. Which one earns the pour?

What You'll Discover

• Tito's production: Made in Austin, Texas from corn (a naturally gluten-free grain). Pot still distilled six times. Tito's built its market position on the craft story — a one-person operation that grew into the country's biggest vodka. The product is clean, neutral, with a light corn sweetness that reads distinctly in a neat pour.
• Black Momma's production: Vanessa Braxton's distillery operates its own facility — a genuine grain-to-glass operation. Black Momma is one of the relatively few Black-owned, woman-owned craft distilleries in the United States with its own production infrastructure.
• What neat vodka tasting reveals: Mixing vodka into cocktails masks the differences between brands. At room temperature, without mixers, texture, mouthfeel, alcohol integration, and any residual flavor character all show up clearly. Crystal and Roger taste both neat.
• The founder story as context: Vanessa Braxton's path to building a distillery is not a celebrity brand story — it is a ground-up craft story. Crystal has visited the Black Momma facility and the personal relationship with the brand informs how she evaluates it.
• The verdict: Crystal and Roger give their call. The episode is worth hearing in full.

A Moment of Pourspective

Tito's built its market on a craft story before craft was a category. Black Momma is building its market on a craft reality that Tito's scale no longer represents. The question is not which is better made — it is which is making what you actually want to drink.

Explore the Conversation

The Black Momma vs. Tito's episode is one of TLC's cleanest comparison formats — clear question, controlled conditions, direct answer. Crystal and Roger do not hedge. The distillery visit context matters. Crystal has been to the Black Momma facility and has a personal relationship with Vanessa Braxton's work. She is explicit about that when it shapes her evaluation and careful not to let it substitute for the tasting. The craft vodka vs. craft-positioned-but-industrial-scale question that Tito's now represents is the episode's most interesting structural tension. Tito's is no longer a small operation, but its market identity is still built on the original craft story. Black Momma is still the small operation that Tito's used to be.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Black Momma Vodka? Black Momma Vodka is a craft vodka founded by Vanessa Braxton, produced at her own distillery. Woman-owned and Black-owned. The brand also includes Black Momma Teas. blackmommavodka.com
• What is Tito's Handmade Vodka? Tito's is a corn-based, pot-still vodka produced in Austin, Texas. The best-selling vodka in the United States, founded by Bert 'Tito' Beveridge. titosvodka.com
• Is this the only TLC episode featuring Black Momma Vodka? No — Crystal has also done a separate episode where Vanessa Braxton appears as a guest, covering Black Momma's founding story and mission. Also see the episode where she discusses the Uncle Nearest lawsuit.
• What does woman-owned and Black-owned mean for a distillery? Vanessa Braxton owns and operates the distillery herself — one of very few Black women in the United States to do so.

Episode at a Glance

• Spirits compared: Black Momma Vodka vs. Tito's Handmade Vodka
• Hosts: Crystal and Roger
• Runtime: 15 minutes, 1 second
• Category: Gin & Vodka
• Format: Head-to-head neat comparison