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 are shaping the future? And why does gin remain the bartender's favorite spirit?

Naturally, the conversation also turns to Cygnet, the ultra-premium Welsh gin brand founded by internationally acclaimed singer Katherine Jenkins. Dan and Diana discuss what sets Cygnet apart in an increasingly crowded spirits landscape, the challenges and opportunities facing gin in 2026, and why Wales has quietly become one of the most exciting places in the spirits world. They also swap stories from behind the bar, debate the perfect gin and tonic, and offer a few suggestions for celebrating World Gin Day properly.

Whether you're a lifelong gin devotee, a curious cocktail enthusiast, or someone who still thinks gin tastes like a Christmas tree, this episode might just change your mind. Pour yourself a G&T, settle in, and join us for a spirited celebration of one of the world's great distillates.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dan sits down with Geoff Whitman—Pearl Jam’s official tour photographer and a seasoned pro in the wine world—to talk about his stunning new book, Pearl Jam ReactRespond. The book captures the band on their Dark Matter tour with a level of intimacy and immediacy that only someone embedded in the inner circle could pull off.

Geoff shares what it’s like documenting one of the most iconic bands on the planet night after night—how he anticipates moments, earns trust, and somehow stays invisible while capturing images that feel anything but. They dig into the energy of the Dark Matter tour, the subtle differences between shooting in arenas vs. more intimate venues, and why Pearl Jam continues to evolve while still feeling like Pearl Jam.

Of course, it wouldn’t be this show without a little booze talk. Geoff also gets into his parallel life in the wine world, how the disciplines of photography and winemaking oddly overlap, and what he’s been drinking lately when he’s not chasing Eddie Vedder around with a camera.

It’s a conversation about art, access, obsession, and the rare privilege of having a front-row seat to greatness, and knowing exactly when to click the shutter.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dan reunites with his longtime buddy Zane Lamprey, a man who has somehow turned drinking on camera into a multi-decade career and lived to write about it. Zane joins the show to talk about his new book Glass Half Full, a funny, self-aware look at the highs, lows, and hangovers that come with chasing a dream in the booze business. Along the way, he and Dan swap war stories from the road, talk about the brutal reality of keeping shows alive in a fickle TV landscape, and, naturally, get into what they’re drinking now. It’s equal parts nostalgia, comedy, and a reminder that if you can laugh at the chaos, you’re probably doing something right.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week Dan sits down with Johnny Depp to talk about his newly launched rum brand, Three Hearts. The conversation covers everything from the rich, rebellious history of rum (pirates, privateers, and plenty of bad decisions) to what drew Johnny into the spirits world in the first place. He also makes a compelling case for why dark rum is where the real soul of the category lives—deeper flavor, more character, less of that spring-break-in-a-plastic-cup energy. Along the way, they dip into Johnny’s film career, the strange parallels between storytelling and spirit-making, and how both require a certain tolerance for chaos.

Dan also recaps the Three Hearts launch party... an only-in-L.A. affair where he found himself talking shop with Steven Tyler, Beck, Jerry Cantrell, and a rotating cast of rock royalty. Not a bad night’s work. It’s a little chaotic, a little boozy, and exactly the kind of conversation you hope to overhear but rarely do.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dan and Brad Japhe raise a glass to one of the world’s most enduring cocktails in this celebratory deep dive into National Gin & Tonic Day. From its roots as a medicinal mashup of quinine-laced tonic and British gin in colonial India to its modern status as a global go-to refresher, the G&T gets the full treatment—history, technique, and why it still hits like nothing else on a hot day.

Then it’s onto the good stuff: a spirited tour through some of the most compelling gins behind today’s best pours. Dan and Brad break down the botanical fireworks of Monkey 47, the refined elegance of Nolet’s, the cocktail workhorse reliability of Ford’s, the intriguing newcomer Strange Nature, the Japanese precision of Roku, and the timeless, juniper-forward backbone of Tanqueray, which is still setting the standard since 1830.

Whether you’re a die-hard gin nerd or just someone looking to upgrade your next G&T, this episode delivers equal parts education, opinion, and thirsty enthusiasm. Bottom line: better gin, better tonic, better life. Cheers.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.