What We're Drinking with Dan Dunn

Dan is joined by "Regarding Cocktails" author and renowned oyster expert Georgette Moger-Petraske for a Talisker Scotch-and-bivalve mollusks pairing. This one's got everything you ever wanted to know about Isle of Skye whisky and oysters... two great tastes that taste great together. Also, the debut of a new segment called "Outside the Zone," in which Dan and our Chief Brooklyn...

In his latest tippled tutorial, Dan devotes 180-odd-seconds extolling and explaining the Gold Rush, a honey-tinged riff on the whiskey sour invented in the early aughts in NYC, that is widely hailed as a modern mixological classic. Our Sponsors: * Check out Diet Smoke and use my code WWDPOD20 for a great deal: https://www.dietsmoke.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy &a...

For years they starred as bloodsucking bros on "The Vampire Diaries," and now Ian Somerhalder & Paul Wesley have taken to a different kind of powerful elixir, Brother's Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Their brand launched earlier this year, and has already become a mega-hit... and with good reason — it's delicious bourbon. The boys tell all about the journey from dream to bottle. Also...

Dan chats with Ryan Christiansen, head distiller & President of Vermont’s Caledonia Spirits, famed for crafting Barr Hill Gin, Barr Hill Reserve Tom Cat Gin and Barr Hill Vodka from raw honey. Ryan talks about Bees Knees Week (Sept. 24th—Oct. 3rd), which spotlights the importance of bees in our food and drink system, and gives bartenders and drinks-lovers the chance to work together to save th...

Dan is joined in-studio by dear friend of the show Jack Maxwell, former host of the hit Travel Channel series "Booze Traveler." Together they risk getting wicked hangovers in order to sample copious amounts of wine and spirits for the Official "What We're Drinking" Fall Buying Guide, from Champagne to tequila to Scotch. That's right, folks, and they do it all for you. You're we...

Dan is joined by David Prior, owner of Bladnoch, the oldest working distillery in the Scottish Lowlands and a leader in environmentally conscious whisky-making. Also, Dan dishes about some of his all-time favorite single malt Scotches, AND unveils a specialty cocktail created specifically for US by Portland, Oregon-based bartending legend Jeffrey Morgenthaler. Plus, with the NFL season set to begi...

Former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo joins Dan for what turns out to be a first on this program — an interview that got cut off by an overzealous publicist who apparently didn't like the subject matter. Up until that point, though, Dan and Olivia, along with her business partner Ryan Laverty, had a good old time talking about Vide, their tasty ready-to-drink canned cocktail. Other topics of discussio...

Dan revisits a PC chat he and pal Emma Patterson had with music superstar G-Eazy at the Sunset Marquis in West Hollywood. And by PC we mean "Pre-Covid," and most definitely NOT "politically correct." Indeed, the conversation gets downright bawdy at times, thanks in no small part to all the Stillhouse Whiskey that was consumed that day... Stillhouse, of course, being the happeni...

Dan throws back some Stolichnaya with actor and WWD's Official East Coast Cohost, Colin Donnell. Topics include classic vodka cocktails, mysterious productions in Australia that Colin may or may not be involved with and aggressive hecklers. Also on the program, journalist Brad Japhe joins us for a lively discussion about the pros and cons of professional booze punditry. Oh, and Dan goes toe-to-toe...

Recorded on location at the Firestone Walker Brewing Company in Venice Beach, Dan is joined by actor and fellow Philadelphian Adam Shapiro ("Never Have I Ever," "Steve Jobs") who started making Philly soft pretzels at home to pass the time during the pandemic, and suddenly found himself the proprietor of LA's red-hot Shappy Pretzel Co. The Philly boys pair Shappy's twisted food...

In the time it takes dice a pineapple, Dan reveals all about a tiki classic called the Jungle Bird. While not as famous as the Mai Tai or Singapore sling, it's every bit as tasty and — Dan contends — a more authentically "tropical" libation that the aforementioned. It’s made with rum, pineapple and lime, the holy trinity of tropical tiki drinks. The thing that sets the Jungle Bird apart,...

Virginia was home to the first commercial winemaking venture in the United States, which started two years before it was even called the United States. The Virginia Winemaking Company was founded by a thirty-one-year-old whippersnap- per you might have heard of, one Thomas Jefferson. Dan explores the rich historic wine heritage of the region and the preponderance of wineries there (there are more...

Dan accepts a rosé from Kaitlyn Bristowe, a former contestant on ABC’s “The Bachelor” who went on to become “The Bachelorette.” Kaitlyn also competed in and won “Dancing with the Stars” in 2020. She currently co-hosts season 17 of “The Bachelorette” alongside fellow former Bachelorette Tayshia Adams, and in May of 2019 she launched a wine brand called Spade & Sparrows. Topics of discussion inc...

Oh Bloody Mary, why are you so bedeviling to the brunching masses? What makes you ok to drink before 11 am? Is the Bloody Mary really named after someone named Mary? In the time it takes to make toast (it is brunch, after all), Dan answers these and other questions about fortified tomato juice. Our Sponsors: * Check out Diet Smoke and use my code WWDPOD20 for a great deal: https://www.dietsmoke.co...

In celebration of the late great Anthony Bourdain's 65th birthday, Dan revisits an interview he did with the revered chef, author and travel documentarian in Los Angeles 10 months prior to Bourdain's death. Topics discussed include Philly cheesesteaks, Tony's preferred way of drinking Scotch, and the best whisky to drink while listening to Tom Waits in a dive bar. Our Sponsors: * Check out Diet Sm...

This one’s for anyone who’s ever woken up with a hangover and thought, "What I could really use right now is… another drink!" That’s right, we’re talking about that most morbid of libations, the Corpse Reviver #2, one of the few cases where the sequel is better than the original — it’s like the "Godfather Part 2" or "Wrath of Kahn" of cocktails. In just over 180 secon...

We celebrate a return to semi-normalcy with a live recording at The Stand Comedy Club in New York City. Dan's special guests include WWD's official East Coast Cohost, actor Colin Donnell, along with comedians Krystyna Hutchinson, Joe Derosa and Justin Silver. What they're drinking are many delicious cocktails made with Ford's Gin, created by The Stand's resident cocktail whiz Christian Orlando. To...

We take the show on the road to Dan's hometown of Philadelphia, and sample all sorts of cool stuff including whiskeys made with venison and beavers' anal glands... yum! Dan's drinking buddies are Steven Grasse and Charlie Hall. Food & Wine Magazine dubbed Steven “the punk-rock prince of small-batch spirits.” He has helped create several iconic booze brands including Hendrick’s Gin, Sailor Jerr...

Dan partakes in Iowa's own Templeton Distillery's new 10 Year Single Barrel Rye Whiskey with Iowa-born actor Brandon Routh, aka Superman. Among the topics discussed is Templeton's "Strong Spirited Entrepreneur’s Grant" program, in which three small businesses will be awarded $10k each. Feeling lucky? Give a listen and find out how you can enter. Also, Dan reveals the most important lesso...

Dan drinks Stellum bourbon and rye whiskey with Patti Murin, star of stage and screen whose Broadway credits include Lysistrata Jones (2011) and Princess Anna in Frozen (2018). On the TV, Patti had a recurring role on the NBC medical drama Chicago Med, and starred in the Hallmark Channel film Love on Iceland, alongside her husband, Colin Donnell, who happens to be this program’s Official East Coas...

On the eve of Feis Ile, the annual Islay Festival of Music and Malt, Dan throws back a few drams of his beloved Islay Single Malt Scotch, Bunnahabhain, with Meredith Salenger and Patton Oswalt, hosts of a new podcast called "Did You Get My Text?" In addition to the whisky talk, they cover a range of topics from a-hole politicians to famous dead writers to a bizarre yoga ban in Alabama. O...

"An American Winemaker in New Zealand." Dan Dunn wines it up with Dan Brennan, who grew up in South Jersey and wound up becoming a successful winemaker in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Brennan's got an inspiring story, and his wines are really damn good too. Also on the program, U.S. Women's Soccer legend Aly Wagner, who's teaming up with her former teammate Brandi Chastain for a one-of-a-kin...

In roughly 180 seconds, Dan reveals all there is worth knowing about the Painkiller, a relative of the Piná Colada with an intriguing origin story set in an exotic locale that involves the British Navy, recipe theft, imperialism and one of the world's smallest (and wettest) bars. If you're thinking about skipping this one, remember — no pain, no gain! Our Sponsors: * Check out Diet Smoke and use m...

A good bartender is a host, bouncer, shrink, parent, stand-up comic, and confidante. These people work hard, play harder, and have quite literally seen it all. And, boy, do bartenders tell great stories! On this episode, tippled tales abound, with help from legendary James Beard-winning bartender Dale DeGroff, LA bar star Kiowa Bryan, New York's finest Charles Hardwick and a mysterious Kiwi mixolo...

For the first time in over a year, we recorded an episode on location — back out in the wild, so to speak, the way the Drinking Gods intended. Dan is joined by former "Booze Traveler" Jack Maxwell at Nueva in Venice Beach, where they drink delicious Altos and Avion tequila-based cocktails in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. Dan and Jack discuss their hardscrabble roots in Boston and Philly,...