Each bottle of this Fathertime Firstborn Edition has been personally hand-signed

This precious batch of bourbon is named Fathertime, not after that bearded fella who is the personification of time, nor the special moments a man spends with his children but for the occasional brief period of peace and reflection every hard-working father earns. It is my belief that the mother is often the hero of the story. When someone becomes famous, they buy their mom a house. The father is lucky if he gets an invitation for lunch. This bourbon is presented as a tribute or a salve to the unheralded paternal sacrifice of the men who show up and try their best. Fatherhood is the most important job men with children will ever fail at.

On the front of this bottle, you will find my grandfather Joseph Patrón, a man I never met but whose sacrifice changed my life. Joseph taught himself to make and sell dentures, breaking a cycle of Gaffigan men working in coal mines that had existed since my family arrived in America in the mid-1800s. Joseph is the father of my father Michael Ambrose Gaffigan (above). Michael was the first In our family to go to college and he pulled our family into the middle class. I Imagine Michael was a complicated son to Joseph, just as I was a complicated son to Michael. Having been a father for 20 years to five children I've experienced my own series of complications. I've learned so much and will continue to learn. The only thing I know for certain Is that a father's joy is earned. Below-right is a photo of me and how a man looks after a couple decades of being the father to five children. I'm eternally grateful to my wife and hero Jeannie.