A note to all aspiring comedians (like me) planning to do a stand-up set on the subject of bourbon and the quirky world of bourbon enthusiasts: Don’t bother.
Jim Gaffigan beat you to it. And you can’t top it. Gaffigan’s “Live from Old Forester: The Bourbon Set” is an x-ray vision analysis of the passion and peccadillos of those who drink and collect America’s Native Spirit.
Gaffigan was on Louisville’s Whiskey Row for several live performances in early October at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts. The final edit of the performance went live on YouTube recently and you don’t want to miss it.
The award winning comedian and author is a serious bourbon fan. “I fell in love with bourbon – the culture, the history, and of course the spirit,” Gaffigan said.
“I decided to do a comedy set about Bourbon and the American whiskey community I’ve grown to love, Gaffigan said. “This is a pretty niche passion project that nobody asked for, but I’m proud of how it turned out.”
Thanks to an invite from Bruce Corwin and the Bourbon Brotherhood group, I was in the audience for one of Gaffigan’s thoughtful, insightful, and incredibly funny sets.
I have to admit I hadn’t paid much attention to Gaffigan, despite his numerous comedy specials, novels, and appearances on TV and movies. That will certainly change in the future. Gaffigan hysterically skewers and salutes the bourbon community that he obviously loves.
Most great comedy is rooted in peeling back the layers on things we know, but hate to admit, to be true. Here’s my favorite of Gaffigan’s standout lines of the evening: “Now, I’m not a bourbon expert, but I’m annoying in other ways.” (I resemble that remark.)
“I will occasionally have a bourbon every night. I don’t drink bourbon everyday, the would be ridiculous. It’s just at night. But I only have two bourbons. Just two. And after that, I lose count. Because I like high proof with a heavy pour. I’m a proof whore. Now, I’m not a bourbon expert, but I’m annoying in other ways.”
A ‘Precious Batch’ Bourbon
Gaffigan said after being approached by several big bourbon distillers to lend his name to a variety of spirits, he decided to put together something on his own. He teamed up with his his friend from high school, Stu Pollard, who is a Louisville independent film maker and fellow bourbon lover. The end result is Fathertime Bourbon, which is not your typical celebrity spirit. Gaffigan handpicks the bourbon and signs every bottle.
Gaffigan describes his bourbon this way: “Fathertime is a “precious batch” bourbon meaning a very limited number of bottles are created. Our bourbon was sourced with the help of several highly regarded master distillers, but I taste and hand-select each barrel that goes into Fathertime. Our label and closure were meticulously designed to make this a bottle you’ll be proud to display on your bar or give as a gift to a loved one. There is no big corporation behind us. Every detail of Fathertime has been curated by me and Stu.”
Gaffigan returns to his usual observations and topical humor when he starts his new “Everything is Wonderful?” Tour in January. Go here for locations and ticket information.
“Whiskey is one of the spirits which improves with age, right? That’s why there are names like ‘Old Forester, ’Old Grandad,’ or ‘Old Dirty Bastard.’ Age is a positive, right?
This doesn’t apply to many of the things we consume. You never hear someone say, ‘I bought this tuna salad on the day my daughter was born. And when she turns 21, we’re going to crack it open. I’m detecting notes of botulism.’”
Jim Gaffigan, The Bourbon Set
About Fathertime Bourbon
“Like every baby, Fathertime bourbon started as just a twinkle in a father’s eye. That eye was mine and like most births it was a whirlwind. Over the last decade my wife Jeannie and I have grown to really “appreciate” an occasional bourbon. I guess having teenagers made us welcome any momentary break from the reality of parenting future adults. If you have children, you know what I mean.”
“Like many of you reading this, I fell in love with bourbon – the culture, the history, and of course the spirit. And even though I’d been approached by a few big companies, I never seriously considered doing my own “celebrity spirit.” Mainly because I don’t think I’m a celebrity. But also because, even though I was flattered, the idea always felt false. I couldn’t do a tequila, I don’t even drink tequila. Even when I was approached about doing a whiskey, I was still hesitant. I would never want to put something out that I wouldn’t want to drink myself.”
“After the most recent time I was pitched on a spirits deal, I thought “Why don’t I just try and do something myself? That might make it less cringy and I’d be able to personally guarantee it won’t taste like garbage.” If the whole project fails, at least it will be on me. So I considered it a long shot when I reached out to Stu Pollard, a college friend from Louisville who is an indie film director and also, as it turns out, a fellow bourbon lover. Stu was intrigued by the idea and off we went. And here we are today with Fathertime bourbon.”
“I’m (obviously) not a bourbon expert. But I did do my research and I know what I like. I hand picked the bourbon and personally signed every bottle of Fathertime. And no, there isn’t some big spirit company behind this adventure. It’s just me and a buddy from college. We got tons of help from smart bourbon people and we’re proud of what we’ve created. We hope you enjoy drinking it as much as we do.”
“It’s a gamble but then again so is parenting.”
— Jim Gaffigan
Colonel Brian G. Miller is the Editor of Whiskey Network Magazine. His column, The Bourbon Tutor, covers the latest in bourbon tourism, events, culture, and history. Brian lives in Bourbon City (Louisville, Kentucky). You can reach him at [email protected]
