A new report reveals the FBI Director regularly hands out personalized bottles of Woodford Reserve bourbon to staff and civilians, a practice that reportedly displeased President Trump
Kash Patel’s bourbon habit as FBI Director is now the subject of a detailed new report. The Atlantic’s Sarah Fitzpatrick broke the story, revealing that Patel regularly travels with personalized bourbon bottles. Specifically, he hands them out to FBI staff and civilians during official duties. The bottles come from Woodford Reserve and carry an engraving that reads “Kash Patel FBI Director.” They also feature an FBI shield with Patel’s preferred spelling of his name: Ka$h. Notably, the practice has now drawn attention from inside and outside the bureau.
What the Kash Patel bourbon report reveals
Eight people confirmed the practice to The Atlantic. They include current and former FBI and Department of Justice employees. Furthermore, Patel reportedly transports the bottles using a Justice Department plane. That detail, in particular, has added to the scrutiny surrounding the habit.
One of the bottles ended up on an online auction site. The Atlantic purchased it directly. The seller asked not to be identified. However, they confirmed that Patel gave the bottle as a gift at an event in Las Vegas. Consequently, the bottle’s journey from an official government event to a public listing raised immediate questions.
The FBI responded by saying the gifting falls within its ethics code. Additionally, the bureau described it as part of a longstanding tradition. Nevertheless, it did not provide evidence of past directors handing out personalized bourbon in a similar way.
The Quantico incident and missing bottle
In March, Patel brought an entire case of the personalized bourbon to the FBI’s training facility in Quantico, Virginia. The occasion was a training seminar involving the UFC. One bottle went missing during the event. As a result, Patel reportedly reacted badly.
According to clients of Kurt Siuzdak — a retired agent who assists FBI employees with legal matters — Patel began threatening polygraph tests and prosecution over the missing bottle. Several FBI agents then contacted Siuzdak for legal help. Siuzdak told The Atlantic the situation became deeply disruptive for those involved. Moreover, former FBI supervisory intelligence analyst George Hill said the bourbon practice set a troubling standard. He told the outlet it made him concerned about the direction of the bureau.
Trump’s reaction to the Milan Olympics incident
The bourbon story also connects to a separate controversy. Patel traveled to Milan for the Winter Olympics and brought personalized bottles with him. There, he was filmed chugging beer with the Team USA Men’s Olympic hockey team after their gold medal win. One bourbon bottle was reportedly left behind in the Italian locker room.
President Trump, who does not drink, was displeased. According to NBC News, Trump told Patel directly that he was unhappy with the footage. Furthermore, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Patel’s use of government aircraft for the Milan trip. The conversation, therefore, made clear that the behavior had not gone unnoticed at the highest level.
White House response
Despite the reported tension, the White House offered a supportive public statement. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson pointed to declining crime rates as evidence of the administration’s agenda. She also expressed full confidence in Patel’s leadership of the FBI.
Patel, meanwhile, defended his Milan trip on X. He described celebrating with the gold medal hockey team as an honor. He also said the visit included meetings with Italian law enforcement.
Source: Hindustan Times / The Atlantic / NBC New
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