Dan has spent years researching and experimenting various combinations of food and alcohol and has come to a single, earth-shattering conclusion: We could all learn a lot from the Japanese. There’s seemingly no esculent the Japanese find so repulsive that a little steamed rice and soy sauce won’t fix, and this appetite for disgusting extends to potables as well. This got Dan thinking about convenient food stuffs that could be improved by the addition of alcohol… and in this episode he shares his findings. Also, our first "Drinks of the Week" segment on 2024, and the ghost of Rodney Dangerfield swings by the WWD Lounge.

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So we all know about Dry January, right? It's the time of year people boast about 'detoxing' while secretly crying into their non-alcoholic beer. It's grown like a bad rumor, spreading worldwide with people bragging about better sleep and more cash, all while secretly dreaming of the moment February 1st arrives. Well, Dan has had enough, for a number reasons. And so he's kicking off the year by putting Dry January on blast.

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Dan says goodbye to 2023, but not before dishing on his most challenging interview of the year AND reviewing a brand new boozy product — the beverage equivalent of a unicorn wearing a sombrero... we're talking about Empirical x Doritos Nacho Cheese Spirit. Oh boy! Also, a Christmas poem and a special 3-Minute Bartender all about that most beloved holiday libation, Eggnog.

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Our annual Winter Wonderland of Wine continues with special guests Katia Dragotis and vino expert Kaitlyn Harrah. Wines featured on this episode include: Terlato Pinot Grigio 2022, Rodney Strong Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, Beronia Reserva Rioja 2018, Scaia 2020, Harveys Medium Dry Sherry and Dows' 2018 Late Bottled Vintage Port. Recorded on location at Dear Jane's in Marina Del Rey, California.

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Dan celebrates, evaluates and appreciates the wines of winter, 2023, long with Purple Banter Network's Katia Dragotis and Kaitlyn Harrah, wine director for the Citrin and Melissa Hospitality Group. Recorded on location at Dear Jane's in Marina Del Rey, California. Wines featured on this episode include Bottega Vinaia Pinot Grigio ($22), Landmark Vineyards Hop Kiln Estate 2021 Pinot Noir ($50), J.O. Sullivan Rutherford Estate Founders Reserve Merlot 2020 ($310), Rodney Strong Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($35), Rodney Strong 2017 Symmetry ($70), Paso-D’Oro Cabernet Sauvignon ($30) and Graham's 10 Year Old tawny Port ($42).

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Alcohol was originally considered a medicine, Indeed, during Prohibition one of the most reliable places to get your hands on a bottle of liquor was the pharmacy. So with that — and everyone’s general health and well being in mind — we present the Penicillin. With fresh ginger, lemon and a healthy dose of Scotch, this little wonder, invented by Sam Ross in 2005, does indeed have an ineffable healing quality. And in the amount of time it takes sing an average Scottish folk song, Dan reveals all about the drink.

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Everyone's favorite wine expert, Clair Coppi of SOMM TV, returns for a wide ranging exploration of the wonderful world of New Zealand wine. Among the many fun facts discussed: Marlborough is New Zealand's largest wine-producing region, and Hawkes Bay is the oldest; winery growth in NZ really took off in the 1990s; and due to its location, its vineyards are the first on our planet to see the sun each day. Wines reviewed include Quartz Reef Methode Traditionnelle Brut NV, Mt. Beautiful Sauvignon Blanc, Jules Taylor Chardonnay, Villa Maria Taylor's Pass Pinot Noir, Te Awanga Wildsong Syrah, and Decibel Malbec. Recorded at Hatchet Hall, one of the most popular and well-regarded restaurants in Los Angeles.

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Pleased to welcome back longtime friend of the show Joe Beatrice, founder of Barrell Craft Spirits. Joe and Dan discuss the brand's latest releases, which include a Cask Finish Series and Barrell Foundation, its first non-cask strength bourbon. Also, Dan recounts his "Sunday Funday" shenanigans in Beverly Hills, including an extremely chichi lunch atop the Gucci store and some after-lunch libations at Dante in the Maybourne Hotel.

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Five years ago this month the spirits industry lost a titan in master distiller Dave Pickerell, whose imprimatur is on such iconic brands as Maker's Mark, Blackened and WhistlePig among others. This episode features an interview Dan and his former "Drinky Fun Time" cohost Emma Patterson conducted with Dave at the 2017 Bourbon & Beyond Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. Also, updates on Dan's dog Buna and his surgically repaired eye (known simply as "eye"), and a "Drinks of the Week" segment featuring syrups from HipStirs.

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Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steven Soderbergh returns, and he brought along Nicolas Granier, whose family's Bolivian distillery produces Soderbergh's delightful spirit, Singani 63. They talk cocktails, movies, government agencies and other cool stuff. Also on the show, WWD's Official Brooklyn Correspondent Scott Alexander is back to discuss Dan's recent woes — namely a serious eye injury and his seriously ill dog. Fun, right? Hey, we never promised you a rose garden!

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