What We're Drinking with Dan Dunn

Liqueurs don't always get the respect they deserve. We're here to change that. Just in time for National Liqueur Day, Dan Dunn and acclaimed spirits writer Brad Japhe explore one of the drinking world's most colorful, versatile, and deliciously misunderstood categories. It's a spirited journey through centuries of history, fascinating origin stories, closely guarded recipes, and the people who tur...

It’s cocktail hour, and Anna Vocino is here to make sure there’s something good to eat with whatever’s in your glass. The actress, comedian, bestselling cookbook author and founder of Eat Happy Kitchen joins Dan to talk about her new book, Eat Happy Cocktail Hour: Deliciously Gluten Free and Low Carb Sips, Dips, and Bites and the art of eating and drinking well without sucking all the fun out of i...

This week, Dan sits down with acclaimed bartender Kenta Goto and award-winning drinks writer Noah Rothbaum to talk about their new book, The Goto Bartender’s Guide, a look at Japanese cocktail culture through the drinks, techniques, traditions, and philosophy that have shaped Goto’s singular approach to bartending and hospitality. Also on the show: a fresh round of Drinks of the Week , with Dan cr...

Dan takes a look at how the Trump administration’s tariffs are hitting the drinks business, from distilleries, wineries and importers to bars, restaurants and, ultimately, the people picking up the tab. Who’s getting squeezed, how much money is at stake, and what could all of this mean for the price of your next bottle or cocktail? The episode also includes Dan’s tribute to his friend Bryan “Bald...

To celebrate Mexican Independence Day, Dan takes the show on the road—or at least down the street—for a special live episode recorded in front of an audience on the rooftop of Casa de Ocho, Tequila Ocho’s pop-up in the heart of Venice Beach. Joining Dan is his old friend Zane Lamprey, comedian, author, world traveler, and legendary host of the seminal drinking shows Three Sheets and Drinking Made...

Dan has been away on a much-needed vacation, so this week we’re reaching into the vault for an encore presentation of one of our most-listened-to episodes of 2024. It’s a very special caffeinated edition of the show, as Dan turns his attention to his other liquid obsession: coffee. Joining him is none other than Maynard James Keenan . Yes, that Maynard—vocalist for Tool, A Perfect Circle and Pusci...

Whiskey legend Fred Minnick joins Dan and Brad Japhe to celebrate his upcoming induction into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame and, naturally, they mark the occasion by opening some very good bottles. The lineup includes Old Fitzgerald 7-Year Bottled in Bond, Old Grand-Dad 114 Single Barrel, Jefferson’s Ocean and Founder’s Reserve 20 Year, Four Roses Single Barrel, and Booker’s Milkshake Batch. F...

In this special stand-alone edition of History at Work and in the Making , Dan digs into the surprisingly rowdy origins of America’s end-of-summer holiday, Labor Day, from brutal 19th-century working conditions and the disputed father of Labor Day to the first parade in 1882, where thousands of workers celebrated afterward with lager kegs mounted “in every conceivable place.” Plus: the Pullman Str...

Dan is going back to school. Sort of. Inspired by his childhood love of Sesame Street , he works his way through The ABCs of Drinking , assigning each letter of the alphabet a word from the wonderful world of adult beverages. From Alcohol, Booze, and Cocktail to Glencairns, Hair of the Dog, Quaffing, and Zima, Dan blends drinking history and trivia with personal stories and the kind of questionabl...

Dan’s supposed to be on vacation. Supposed to be. But apparently staying away from a microphone is harder than it looks. In this short-and-slightly-unhinged episode, he suffers a bout of cranial leakage, ranting about the scourge of party invite apps before taking a strange stroll down memory lane and wondering whether it might be time to resurrect Revenge Fantasies, the very short-lived podcast h...

Dan is on vacation this week, presumably somewhere making a bartender regret asking, “What can I get you?” So we’re dipping into the archives for a Best of edition of 3-Minute Bartender, featuring one of the world’s most provocatively named cocktails: the Pornstar Martini . Dan traces the drink back to legendary London bartender Douglas Ankrah, explains how the Maverick Martini got its much more m...

This week we welcome one of the most influential figures in the rum world: Ian Burrell , founder of UK RumFest, the world's first international rum festival, and the man known throughout the spirits industry as the Global Rum Ambassador. For nearly two decades, Ian has been on a mission to elevate rum's reputation, introducing millions of people to the depth, diversity, and history of one of the w...

This week Dan welcomes acclaimed screenwriter and novelist Cliff Dorfman , whose riveting new crime novel, Crime Family , is already turning heads. Cliff shares behind-the-scenes stories from his time writing on Entourage , co-writing the acclaimed film Warrior , and making the leap from Hollywood to the world of crime fiction. Along the way, the conversation dives into storytelling, organized cri...

National Tequila Day calls for something special, and this year we're celebrating with one of the category's most knowledgeable ambassadors. Joining Dan is Jaime Salas , Head of Legacy & Advocacy for Proximo Spirits' agave portfolio in the U.S., for a deep dive into all things tequila, from the traditions and craftsmanship behind Mexico's most iconic spirit to the innovations shaping its future. T...

It started as a birthday celebration. It turned into the biggest episode in What We're Drinking history. For Dan Dunn's Birthday Boozapalooza—and the landmark 350th episode—Dan is joined by WWD's Official Roving Correspondent, Brad Japhe , along with an all-star lineup of friends from some of the most respected names in the spirits world. Dropping by to raise a glass are Joe Beatrice (Barrell Craf...

On this tropical edition of What We're Drinking with Dan Dunn , we're raising a frosty glass to one of the most beloved and misunderstood cocktails of all time: the mighty piña colada. Joining Dan for the festivities is Haley Traub , National Mixologist for Pernod Ricard and one of the most respected bartenders in America, whose résumé includes legendary New York cocktail institutions Attaboy and...

Summer is officially in session, which means it's time for the 43rd Annual What We're Drinking with Dan Dunn Summer Wine Special. Dan is joined by the podcast's Official Roving Correspondent, Brad Japhe , for a spirited, and occasionally absurd, deep dive into what actually makes a great summer wine. Spoiler alert: it's not just rosé and Sauvignon Blanc. This year's lineup features four exceptiona...

In this cinematic celebration of booze-soaked movie magic, Dan raises a glass to some of the greatest drinking scenes ever captured on film. From iconic barroom moments and legendary party sequences to unexpected liquid-fueled masterpieces, he explores how alcohol has helped create some of cinema's most memorable scenes, whether they're hilarious, heartfelt, chaotic, or downright absurd. Along the...

This week on 3-Minute Bartender , Dan raises a bright-orange toast to one of the world's most popular, and most polarizing, cocktails: the Aperol Spritz . Often dismissed as a frivolous poolside sipper, the Spritz actually boasts a history dating back more than a century, with roots stretching from Austrian soldiers in northern Italy to the sun-drenched piazzas of modern-day Venice. Along the way,...

This week we raise a glass to World Gin Day with a guest who lives and breathes the category: Diana Gettinger, National Brand Ambassador for Cygnet Gin . Together, Dan and Diana dive into the current state of gin, exploring how the spirit has evolved from its London Dry roots into one of the most dynamic and innovative categories in the world of booze. Is the gin boom still booming? What trends ar...

This installment of 3-Minute Bartender takes on one of summer's most beloved wine cocktails: sangria . Dan traces the drink's origins back to Spain and Portugal, where mixing wine with fruit, spices, and other ingredients wasn't so much a culinary innovation as a survival strategy. Along the way, he offers a brief history lesson, explains how sangria exploded in popularity after the 1964 World's F...

Dan kicks things off with a caffeinated love letter to coffee, and specifically to the exceptional blends coming out of Queen Bee Vinyl Café , the coffee company run by his friend Maynard James Keenan . Dan explains why Maynard's coffee venture is much more than a celebrity side hustle and shares a few of his favorite roasts. Then it's time for another installment of History At Work and In The Mak...

This week the booze takes a temporary backseat to something a little more personal. After the sudden loss of his cousin Dennis—more brother than cousin, really—Dan headed back to his hometown of Philadelphia for a celebration of life that became something more: a meditation on grief, family, friendship, and the strange, unsettling way ordinary moments can turn out to be the last ones. Dennis may n...

This week on What We’re Drinking , Dan and roving correspondent Brad Japhe celebrate World Cocktail Day by diving headfirst into a lineup of “Instant Classic Cocktails.” Drinks that may not be household names yet, but absolutely deserve to be. From a Caribbean-leaning spritz built around the newly U.S.-available Rhum Clément V.O. to a bourbon-powered riff on the French 75 featuring Basil Hayden ,...

Dan is joined by winemaker Chase Renton of L’Angolo Estate for a conversation that goes well beyond what’s in the glass. At the center of it is Resilience , a limited-release Willamette Valley Pinot Noir with a powerful mission: 100% of proceeds benefit the Kevin Love Fund , supporting mental health awareness and education. Renton opens up about his personal journey—battling cancer, navigating bur...