JIM GAFFIGAN - Fathertime, the skinny and not ready for primetime.
““You know what it’s like having a fifth kid? Imagine you’re drowning, and then someone hands you a baby.” ”
This quip—featured on Jim Gaffigan’s custom Fathertime Bourbon shot glasses—captures the chaos of parenthood that the comedian, actor, writer, producer, and New York Times best-selling author knows all too well. Yet apparently, five progeny weren’t enough for Gaffigan. Somewhere between sleepless nights, his Barely Alive comedy tour, and the release of his new show, The Skinny, on Hulu’s Laughing Now, he found time to bring a new spirit into this world—Fathertime Bourbon.
Gaffigan’s parenting experiences strongly fueled the comedian’s desire to create his brand. As he explained during our recent chat, “The best is when empty nesters talk about the teenage years because they always sound like they’re describing a hurricane. They’re like, ‘Oh, my wife and I thought we were prepared…we lost everything.’ And that’s why I started my own bourbon [company], because you know, alcohol is not the answer, but it’s pretty close.”
Despite the challenges of balancing family, comedy, and whisky, the indefatigable Jim Gaffigan remains wonderfully grounded. His wit, deeply rooted in genuine affection for his audience and loved ones, was on full display when we sat down recently to discuss how Fathertime Bourbon acts as a tranquilizer for the chaotic soundtrack of everyday life.
Gaffigan isn’t a celebrity looking to bank on his name. He came to bourbon in an organic way. He says, “My wife and I occasionally have a bourbon…every night. Sharing bourbon together gives us an opportunity to reconnect as a couple and try to forget we have children.”
Often dubbed “the king of clean,” Gaffigan’s signature self-deprecating humor (dad jokes sprinkled with a dash of doughnuts) and relatable storytelling have earned him six Grammy nominations and three Emmy nominations (including two wins). His books, Food: A Love Story and Dad Is Fat, both enjoyed impressive runs on the New York Times bestseller list, staying there for 10 and 17 weeks, respectively.
Gaffigan’s remarkable likeability has also contributed to his streaming success. In 2020, Gaffigan became the first stand-up comic to reach a billion audio streams on Pandora. But the public isn’t his toughest crowd. As Gaffigan put it: “It’s ironic that people listened to me doing stand-up a billion times given I can’t get one of my children to listen to me once.”
With two seasons of the critically acclaimed semi-autobiographical The Jim Gaffigan Show—which he co-created with his wife Jeannie—alongside a slew of successful stand-up specials and film appearances, Gaffigan is gearing up for the November 22, 2024, release of The Skinny on Hulu’s Laughing Now brand. He’ll kick off the series as the first of twelve comedians slated to host throughout the year.
Debuting The Skinny comes fast on the heels of another career high. This fall, Gaffigan appears with the “Not Ready for Primetime Players" in a recurring role on Saturday Night Live portraying Governor Tim Walz. His take on Walz has garnered rave reviews when appearing in the show’s cold open this season. For Gaffigan, this was more than just another gig; it was a dream come true. The legendary sketch comedy show heavily influenced him when he was growing up. His ability to use comedy as a lens to engage with the world around him is evident in this role. “Working with SNL icons like Dana Carvey, Maya Rudolph and everyone else is a dream for me. It’s been an incredible ride.”
SNL’s trademark political satire and goofy gags also carried over to his gig in October as the master of ceremonies for the 79th Al Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, a high-profile fundraising event for Catholic charities attended by around 1,000 guests, including presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump, religious leaders, and top government and business figures. Drawing on his rep as the “everyman’s comic,” Gaffigan roasted politicians from both sides of the party line.
Gaffigan’s “pull-no-punches” attitude extends beyond the stage and the page and into his Fathertime whiskey venture. His bourbon sums up his essence—bold, surprisingly smooth, and the perfect companion to anything bacon-related. As the comedian describes it, “Fathertime is raised with love and discipline in heavy oak barrels, undisturbed by children or the stress of parenting.”
Bucking the rising trend of celebrity endorsements for booze brands, Gaffigan took a different route to becoming a real-deal bourbon maker. He sought out his old college friend, indie film director and bourbon enthusiast Stu Pollard. He collaborated with the director from Louisville, and thought, "Can't we just buy a bunch of barrels and do this ourselves?" It was the more difficult route, and one that likely could lose them money, but the duo decided to do it anyway. What followed was rewarding for them.
The first edition of Fathertime sold out in just weeks, leaving many fans longing for more. “We were truly happy about the response. This fueled Stu and I, and we got serious about sipping and creating more.”
They soon decided to create a new expression for their growing spirits endeavor. “Second Child Syndrome,” is a smooth bourbon crafted with the same principles as its predecessor.
The third in the bourbon lineup is affectionately referred to as “Empty Nester (Cask) Strength.” Recognizing that when children finally leave home, parents enter a unique stage of liberation and grief, and, “Some nights are a call for a stronger bourbon.”
The world of bourbon has become a true passion project for Gaffigan. “There’s no big company behind us” he says. “It’s us handpicking and developing the bourbon with a lot of help from knowledgeable bourbon people.” This authenticity adds to the appeal, ensuring that every aspect, from barrel to bottle, is Gaffigan-approved—including those aforementioned joke-engraved shot glasses.
@jimgaffigan
fathertime-bourbon.com
- Article by Randy Mastronicola with Molly Headley portraits by Scott McDermott
Randy Mastronicola is the editor and publisher of Cigar & Spirits Magazine.
Molly Headley holds a master’s degree in creative writing and literary criticism from the University of Oxford. Her work can be seen in a wide range of publications, from Bloomsbury Press, Glénat Editions and Al Jazeera Media to magazines focusing on Arts & Culture, Food & Beverage and Travel. She's lived and worked in Los Angeles, London, Saigon and Paris–endlessly hunting the best places to enjoy the finer things in life.