What We're Drinking with Dan Dunn

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,...

Dan hunkers down for a no-holds-barred chat with the world's most celebrated salvager of sh#tty saloons, "Bar Rescue" host Jon Taffer. Topics include nightmare bar owners, cellphone addicted servers, the demise of mega-clubs, bar fights and the future of the bar biz. Also, Dan rants about other podcasts that are very popular, yet kinda suck. And he offers reviews of new wine, whiskey and...

Our tequila-fueled march toward Cinco de Mayo continues with comedian Big Jay Oakerson from Philly and delicious Tequila Casazul from Jalisco. Dan and Jay talk booze, news, the blues and Louie's miscues. Pay attention... cuz if you snooze you lose. Rhyming is fun! Our Sponsors: * Check out Diet Smoke and use my code WWDPOD20 for a great deal: https://www.dietsmoke.com Advertising Inquiries: https:...

In the time it took James Bond to escape before Goldfinger's laser beam could burn a hole through his short and curlies, Dan spills the beans about author Ian Fleming's second most favorite creation, the Vesper, a beguiling combination of gin, vodka, Lillet and bitters. Once Fleming invented the drink, he named it after the very first Bond girl, thankfully one with a name that hasn’t become SUPER...

Dan is joined by the co-founders of Villa One Tequila, Nick Jonas and John Varvatos. The dynamic duo talks about the history of the brand, the preponderance of celebrities in the agave spirits space, and the time Nick almost froze to death with Bear Grylls. Also, a chat with Areli Castro (aka King Mala), a superstar in the making whose debut single "She Calls Me Daddy" is our host's new...

Dan is joined by Maynard James Keenan, vocalist for the bands Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer. Maynard is also the founder and winemaker at Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards, and features prominently in Dan's memoir, "American Wino: A Tale of Reds, Whites and One Man's Blues," which was released five years ago this month. They drink wine, they talk wine, they revere wine. Our Spo...

In the time it takes to write a grocery list or go on a social media unfollowing spree, Dan tells ya all ya need to know about The Last Word, an awesome, gin-based, Prohibition-era cocktail that’s both easy and delicious. 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 & Opt-Ou...

Dan throws back Barrell Seagrass Rye Whiskey with actor Harry Lennix, star of NBC's "The Blacklist" and the blockbuster film "The Justice League." Also on the show, Joe Beatrice, founder of Barrell Craft Spirits, the award-winning independent blender and bottler of unique aged, cask-strength sourced whiskey and rum. Our Sponsors: * Check out Diet Smoke and use my code WWDPOD20...

Dan is joined by his longtime friend, former colleague and celebrity crush Jessica Hall, host of the "Flashbacks" podcast and founder of Fetch, an all natural vodka cocktail in a can. Topics include Playboy Mansion parties, Palm Springs pool parties, Hollywood parties and cornhole leagues. Also, we unveil a new feature called the "Shots Game," with our inaugural contestant, act...

In the time it takes to pack a carry-on for a weekend jaunt, Dan takes you on a journey to the Aviation, a delightful variation on a Gin Sour that is truly one of the great treasures of the cocktail pantheon. It's not the easiest drink to prepare properly, but fear not, our high-flying host promises to pilot you through the process with minimal turbulence and plenty of warm nuts. Our Sponsors: * C...

Firestone Walker has been making great beer on California's Central Coast for a quarter of a century. In celebration of the brewery's Silver anniversary, Dan is joined by co-founder David Walker, who knows more about beer than most... certainly more than Dan, anyway. They geek out about hops and water sources and haziness and all sorts of other cool beer stuff. Also, Dan relays a compelling "...