New Bedford TikTok Star Jonny Sips Shares the Story Behind 3 Million Followers

have been following Jonny Sips on TikTok since 2020, and for years, I knew him as the "Colbie Caillat guy." If you're unfamiliar with his videos, Jonny mixes cocktails in his backyard that have absolutely no business working as well as they do, dumps edible glitter into the cup and prepares to send the whole thing to the sky while "Bubbly" plays in the background. It is chaotic, hilarious and somehow wholesome all at the same time.

What I did not know was that the man I had watched rack up more than 3 million followers and 120 million likes on TikTok was living right here in New Bedford. Once I found that out, I had to bring Jonny Sips into the Fun 107 studio and get the story behind the cocktails, the catchphrases and the man behind it all. As it turns out, there is a lot more behind the "full sends" than I ever realized.

Jonny, 32, was born in Stoughton, spent part of his childhood in Taunton and eventually moved to New Bedford with his mother. He attended DeValles Elementary and Roosevelt Middle before stepping into New Bedford High School, where he played football his freshman year. Eventually, he ended up leaving school after becoming a young father. Today, he and his wife, Danielle, his high school sweetheart of 15 years, have four children and continue to call New Bedford home.

From SpaghettiOs to Social Media Stardom

Believe it or not, Jonny's daughter was the one who first got him interested in TikTok. The family started making trends together before Jonny went viral for chugging two cans of uncooked SpaghettiOs through a 'bier stick', which apparently was all the proof he needed that this social media thing might actually work. “I was like, ‘Hey, we can really do this. We can take this somewhere,’” he said.

@jonnysipsofficial Replying to @hannah marie💫 ♬ Chopin Nocturne No. 2 Piano Mono - moshimo sound design

From there came the cocktails, edible glitter and the song that made Jonny instantly recognizable to millions of people. “I started out making drinks, putting that edible glitter into it, making it a little pretty, trying to spread positive vibes one drink at a time,” he said. One slightly tipsy night, he threw on Colbie Caillat's “Bubbly,” made a drink and unknowingly stumbled into the formula that would help turn Jonny Sips into a social media star. The wild part is that there really is no formula when it comes to the actual drinks. Jonny said he does not search for recipes and instead walks into a store, picks an alcohol and lets the beverage aisle speak to him. “It's all in my mind, honestly,” he said. “I don't look up no recipes. I just walk into the store, depending on what alcohol I feel like I'm working with that day.”

The Man Behind Jonny Sips

Before social media became his full-time life, Jonny spent nine-and-a-half years working for Market Basket, eventually becoming an assistant manager and spending two years at the New Bedford store on Sawyer Street. He said people online often assumed he was a teacher or even a pilot because of the button-down shirts he wore in his videos, so he simply leaned into the character.   Eventually, however, he decided to leave his traditional career behind and take a chance on himself. “I have a dream and I could be more,” he said of that decision. “I'm just here to show everyone that if you put your mind to it, you can literally do something. If you keep it consistent, you can do it.”  

Gazelle and The Story Behind New Bedford's Viral TikTok Star- Jonny Sips

Jonny has also started bringing more of his family into his content, including coffee concoctions with his son that show a much different side of the cocktail-slinging personality. Having grown up without a father figure, he said being present for his own children means everything to him. “If I can bring my kids into my videos and try to crush the stigma of absent father figures in the family, then I'm going to do my best for the kids to make the kids happy.”

Sending It to the Skies

Even one of Jonny's most recognizable pre-drink rituals has a deeper meaning. Before taking a drink, he double taps the cup and “sends it to the skies” as a tribute to the people (or "homies", as he says) who are no longer here to celebrate the good times with us. “That's for all the lost ones that's not here to celebrate these good times that we have,” he said. “A lot of people have lost some people way too soon.” That, to me, is what makes Jonny Sips work. Behind the glitter, crazy concoctions and Friday-night energy is a guy who genuinely wants people to smile, even if he may be fighting his own battles behind the scenes. “Even if I'm feeling some type of way inside of my soul, if I can make someone else laugh, that's what matters most to me” he said.

@jonnysipsofficial Passionfruit sunrise with @@Gazelle ♬ Bubbly - Colbie Caillat

Today, with millions of followers and the freedom to provide for his family while living out a dream that started with a few TikToks, Jonny is proud to call New Bedford home. “I come from New Bedford. I'm not perfect. Far from it,” he said. “But I'm just trying to spread the good word that everyone can do it if you put your mind to it.”

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Turns out, the guy I had been watching on my phone for six years was practically in my backyard the entire time. Who knew? Jonny Sips may have millions of people watching from around the world, but his story, his family and his roots remain right here in New Bedford. As the man himself would say, “We're here for a good time, not a long time.”