What We're Drinking with Dan Dunn

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 Fair in New York, and shares several strong opinions, including a spirited rant about white sangria and the kind of people who clap when airplanes land.

From there, Dan demonstrates how to make his preferred version of red sangria, built around Prescription Cabernet Sauvignon, brandy, Cointreau (or Grand Marnier), citrus juices, crème de cassis, fresh fruit, and a cinnamon stick. He explains why the wine matters, offers tips for adjusting sweetness and strength, suggests a more Spanish-inspired cava variation, and makes the case that properly boozy sangria fruit should never, under any circumstances, be discarded.

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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 Making. This month's chapter, Stars Behind Bars, shines a spotlight on famous actors, musicians, comedians, and other celebrities who spent time tending bar before they hit the big time.

Later, Dan sits down with Daniel Djang, co-founder of Art Beyond the Glass, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit that brings together the hospitality and creative communities to raise money for charitable causes. They discuss this year's upcoming event, the surprising overlap between bartenders and artists, and why so many creative people find a home behind the bar.

And because no episode featuring Art Beyond the Glass would be complete without a little art, Dan closes the show by reciting one of the most beloved drinking poems ever written: Drinking Alone by Moonlight by the legendary 8th-century Chinese poet Li Bai.

Grab a cup of coffee, pour yourself something stronger, and enjoy.
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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 not have lived what the culture would define as a “big” life, but he lived a meaningful one, rich in community, routine, humor, and the kind of quiet resilience that leaves a lasting mark.

But this isn’t all existential dread and mortality talk. Once Dan finishes emotionally dismantling himself (and, by extension, you), the episode pivots into a love letter to Philadelphia itself. From pints and poignant memories at Brownie’s—the neighborhood pub where Dennis worked until his passing—to standout cocktails at the wildly cool 48 Record Bar, exceptional Polish fare at Little Walter’s, brunch and killer wine at High Street, and a proper vino-fueled sendoff at Steven Starr’s Borromini, Dan eats and drinks his way through a city that helped shape him.

Along the way: thoughts on why hotels are better than staying with insane relatives, why Old City still charms the hell out of him, and why Philly remains one of America’s most beautifully dysfunctional cities. It’s funny, heartfelt, unexpectedly moving, and ultimately a reminder to call the people you love while you still can.

Because sometimes you get another conversation. And sometimes you don’t.

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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, a honeyed twist on the Bee’s Knees courtesy of brand-new Plymouth Honey, a tequila-forward elevated Paloma with Tequila Ocho Plata, and the modern masterpiece that is the Bourbon Renewal starring Michter’s US*1, this episode is part cocktail masterclass, part spirited argument for why some drinks just have “it.” Plus, Dan and Brad make the case for RTDs finally earning a seat at the grown-ups’ table with Mission Craft Cocktails. Bottom line: if you’re looking for your next go-to drink, this episode may ruin your usual order.

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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 burnout, and confronting anxiety and depression—and how those experiences ultimately shaped this project. The result is a candid, grounded conversation about vulnerability, connection, and the role wine can play in bringing people together. They also get into Renton’s path through the wine world, from studying in Italy to working harvests in Burgundy and Oregon, and the philosophy behind L’Angolo’s estate-driven approach in the Willamette Valley.

And because it wouldn’t be What We’re Drinking without a little indulgence, Dan also breaks down some of the most expensive whiskies he’s ever tasted. What sets them apart, what they actually deliver in the glass, and whether they justify the price tag.

It’s a mix of great wine, real conversation, and a little high-end whiskey insanity.

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