Tito's Handmade Vodka has overtaken Grey Goose as the United States' best-selling premium vodka by volume — a seismic shift in the market that confirms the Austin, Texas distillery's improbable ascent from single-pot-still startup to category-defining brand in just over two decades.
The Details
According to Nielsen CGA data for the twelve months ending October 2025, Tito's shipped 12.4 million nine-litre cases in the US — surpassing Grey Goose's 11.1 million cases for the first time since Grey Goose entered the market in 1997. The gap, while not yet dramatic, represents a meaningful structural shift in how American consumers define "premium" vodka.
Tito's growth has been driven by three factors: sustained investment in the on-trade (Tito's is now the default call vodka in more US bars than any other brand); its resonance with health-conscious drinkers via gluten-free credentials; and a deliberate avoidance of celebrity endorsements and prestige positioning that its competitors have leaned into heavily.
"We have never tried to be Grey Goose," said Fifth Generation CEO James McDermott. "We have tried to be the best vodka for the way Americans actually drink — at backyard cookouts, at the bar with friends, in a Bloody Mary on a Sunday morning. That's our lane and we intend to stay in it."
At $20–$24 per bottle, Tito's sits at the accessible end of premium — a positioning that has allowed it to function as both an everyday choice and a gifting option, occupying shelf space that other brands must choose between.
Industry Context
Grey Goose's response has been a renewed focus on the super-premium and luxury tier — a move that effectively concedes the accessible-premium segment to Tito's while pursuing higher margins at lower volumes. The brand's single-estate expressions and its Ducasse collaboration are clearly targeted at a different consumer than the one choosing Tito's at the supermarket.
"This is less a story of Tito's winning and more a story of the premium vodka segment bifurcating," said spirits economist Dan Lubetkin of Euromonitor. "The middle is hollowing out. Consumers either want accessible and approachable, or they want super-premium and provenance-driven. There is shrinking space for anything in between."
What's Next
Tito's has confirmed plans to expand its Austin production facility for the third time in five years, adding capacity for an additional 3 million cases annually. The expansion, expected to complete by Q3 2026, will be powered entirely by renewable energy — a direct response to growing consumer expectations around sustainability. International expansion remains a stated priority, with the UK, Australia, and Germany identified as near-term focus markets.
