Kash Patel verteilt maßgeschneiderte Bourbonflaschen und verklagt Atlantic wegen der Berichterstattung über seinen Alkoholkonsum

[FBI Director Kash Patel](https://nypost.com/2026/05/05/us-news/fbi-director-kash-patel-calls-out-nancy-guthrie-sheriff-over-handling-of-dna-we-would-have-analyzed-it-within-days/) reportedly gives out self-branded bottles of bourbon, including some with facsimiles of his signature, at public events — even as he battles The [Atlantic magazine over its reporting](https://nypost.com/2026/04/20/media/fbi-director-kash-patel-sues-atlantic-mag-for-250m-over-story-alleging-excess-drinking-mysterious-absences/) on his drinking habits.

The bottles bear the bureau’s official shield along with the words, “Kash Patel FBI Director.” The whiskey comes from Kentucky-based distillery Woodford Reserve, [according to The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/05/kash-patel-fbi-bourbon/687066/), which purchased a bottle online from a seller who claimed to have been gifted it by Patel in Las Vegas.

A bureau spokesperson didn’t deny the practice, but argued it is not unusual and noted an FBI division gave out a branded whiskey bottle three years ago, during the Biden administration.

“Your story is ‘dumb’ not ‘big,’” FBI rep Ben Williamson [responded on X](https://x.com/_WilliamsonBen/status/2052211173924220998) to Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson Wednesday night. “Personalized gifts like this are commonplace across government including the FBI.”