F*ck Tito’s! | Black Momma Vodka’s Founder Talks Buy Local, The Sipping Saint Talks Spirit Education

Behind the Pour

This episode starts at Black Momma Vodka headquarters — not a studio, not a neutral tasting room, but the actual distillery space where Vanessa Braxton has been building something unprecedented: the operation of the first Black woman to own two distilleries in the United States. Nicole (the Sippin Saint) joins as co-guest for an episode that is equally honest about what is wrong with the mainstream vodka market and what needs to happen to fix it. The title is not shy about the position.

What You'll Discover

• Why Black Momma Vodka hits harder than Tito's: Vanessa's case is specific. She argues that Black Momma Vodka's production approach, flavor profile, and mouthfeel outperform Tito's — and that the only reason Tito's dominates is distribution, marketing spend, and consumer habit rather than liquid quality.
• The first Black woman to own two distilleries: Vanessa's ownership of two production facilities is a historic first. The episode opens at her New York headquarters; a $5M facility in Gary, Indiana is in development, focused on job creation in the local community.
• Custom bottle printing in-house: Vanessa walks the TLC team through her custom label printing setup — a capability that gives Black Momma complete control over packaging without the minimum order constraints that stop most small brands from customizing.
• New York direct-to-consumer laws and wealth building: New York state allows direct-to-consumer spirits sales in ways that some other states do not. Vanessa explains how that legal structure makes it possible for a small distillery to build customer relationships and revenue without full national distribution.
• The Sippin Saint's mission: Nicole (the Sippin Saint) is working to place Black-owned spirits behind every bar she can reach — a grassroots distribution strategy that leverages relationships with bartenders and buyers rather than waiting for national distribution deals.

A Moment of Pourspective

When you choose what is in your glass, you are choosing who gets paid. Buy local, buy Black, buy from the people who build distilleries in their community. The liquid should be good — and it is — but the decision goes beyond the glass.

Explore the Conversation

The Black Momma Vodka episode is one of the most high-energy in TLC's catalog. Vanessa is a natural presence on camera — direct, funny, strategic, and genuine in her frustration with how the spirits market distributes opportunity. The Sippin Saint adds a grassroots perspective to balance Vanessa's production-focused conversation. The custom bottle printing demo is the episode's most visually distinctive moment — watching custom labels come off a production printer in three minutes changes how you think about what 'custom' packaging means for a brand at this scale. Most viewers have never seen a distillery's label production before. The Gary, Indiana facility announcement is the episode's most forward-looking moment. A $5M facility focused on job creation in a historically underserved community is not just a business expansion — it is a community investment that connects the brand's mission to specific geographic impact.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Black Momma Vodka? Black Momma Vodka is a craft vodka brand founded by Vanessa Braxton in New York. She is recognized as the first Black woman to own two distilleries in the United States. The brand is known for bold positioning and direct community engagement.
• Who is the Sippin Saint? Nicole, aka the Sippin Saint, is a spirits educator and advocate working to increase the visibility and placement of Black-owned spirits brands behind bars nationwide.
• What is the New York direct-to-consumer spirits law? New York state allows licensed producers to sell spirits directly to consumers at the point of sale at their facility and, under certain conditions, through online delivery. This gives small distilleries a revenue channel that does not depend on the three-tier distribution system.
• Where can I find Black Momma Vodka? At blackmommavodka.com and through their New York distribution network.

Episode at a Glance

• Guests: Vanessa Braxton (Black Momma Vodka) and Nicole (The Sippin Saint)
• Hosts: Crystal and Roger
• Runtime: 28 minutes, 29 seconds
• Category: Gin & Vodka
• Location: Black Momma Vodka headquarters, New York