Dan Dunn's Pour Decisions

They Can Never Take This Substack Post Away From Me

Dan Dunn — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:03:38 GMT

There’s a phrase professional athletes love to say after winning a championship: “They can never take this away from us.”

You hear it constantly. Super Bowl. World Series. NBA Finals. Stanley Cup. Somewhere in America, a large sweaty man wearing protective goggles is spraying champagne into another large sweaty man’s face and yelling, “THEY CAN NEVER TAK…

Can We Talk About Invitation Apps?

Dan Dunn — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:03:12 GMT

The other day I got an invitation to a friend’s housewarming party and was instantly overcome with a blinding rage. Not because I don’t like my friend. I do. Not because I don’t like parties. I love parties. They’re a wonderful opportunity to remember why I stopped seeing certain people in the first place.

No, what sent my blood pressure soaring was the …

Turns Out We Were Five Years Too Early

Dan Dunn — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:03:38 GMT

(Note: The following post is about a podcast I briefly hosted years ago. The one I host now is called What We’re Drinking with Dan Dunn, and a new episode about National Tequila Day dropped today. Give a listen if you dare.)

I’ve been kicking around the idea of resurrecting a podcast I co-hosted with my buddy Justin Silver called Revenge Fantasies. Some …

Against All Available Evidence...

Dan Dunn — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 17:53:53 GMT

A not-insignificant number of years ago today, July 14th, I entered the world in a hospital in Philadelphia. I’m not going to lie, the transition from warm, quiet, and all-inclusive to... whatever this is... has been challenging from the jump.

I’ve been trying to get comfortable ever since.

Truth be told, I’ve never fully recovered from the experience. Li…

My Mother Took Me to See 'JAWS' On The Atlantic City Boardwalk

Dan Dunn — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 13:03:32 GMT

(Note: If reading sounds exhausting, the latest episode of What We’re Drinking with Dan Dunn partially covers the same topic. Different delivery system, same dazzling intellect.)

I watched Jaws again over the weekend, which is a sentence I’ve probably uttered more often than “I love you.” I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen it. Seventy-five? One …

If You Can't Beat the Rich, Drink Like Them

Dan Dunn — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:03:29 GMT

The guest on the most recent episode of What We’re Drinking with Dan Dunn was Diana Gettinger, national brand ambassador for Cygnet Gin. The topic was World Gin Day.

Wait... what’s up with that little look you just made? Yeah, I saw it. That subtle eyeroll. Are you questioning my choice of podcast guest? Well, don’t, because I know what I’m doing. I’m a …

My Cousin Dennis Never Learned to Drive

Dan Dunn — Thu, 28 May 2026 13:00:51 GMT

(What follows is something I talk about in greater detail on the latest episode of my podcast, What We’re Drinking with Dan Dunn. If you’d rather hear me ramble about mortality, family, and the sneaky significance of ordinary moments in my own dulcet tones, you can listen here: What We’re Drinking with Dan Dunn on Apple Podcasts.)

I was just back in Phil…

The Cocktails That Deserve a Place in the Canon

Dan Dunn — Wed, 13 May 2026 13:03:47 GMT

Today is World Cocktail Day which, if you’re the sort of person who gets irrationally excited about properly expressed citrus oils, is a fairly significant holiday.

And in honor of the occasion, Brad Japhe and I just dropped a brand-new episode of What We’re Drinking dedicated to what we’re calling Instant Classic Cocktails. Drinks that may not yet enjoy…

How Good Does Whiskey Have to Be to Cost This Much?

Dan Dunn — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 19:50:17 GMT

(Note: Be sure to check out the latest episodes of What We’re Drinking with Dan Dunn featuring Johnny Depp, Zane Lamprey and Pearl Jam’s official tour photographer Geoff Whitman. It’s a strong lineup. Frankly, I’m the weakest part.)

I was in New York City last weekend, doing what I do best: cosplaying as a man of refined taste while drinking great stuff …

A Completely Pointless Holiday Worth Celebrating

Dan Dunn — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 19:56:28 GMT

The latest episode of What We’re Drinking with Dan Dunn is now live, and in honor of National Gin & Tonic Day (April 9th—circle it, celebrate it, pretend it matters), the esteemed spirits scribe Brad Japhe and I did what any responsible journalists would do: we dove headfirst into six very different gins and put them through their paces.

Call it research…

Two Weeks Ago It Was Curtis. Now It’s Dennis.

Dan Dunn — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 22:06:29 GMT

A few weeks ago, I lost my friend Curtis Robinson. I shared some thoughts about it here, in what was probably equal parts tribute and attempt to keep my head on straight. If you want to take a look, here’s the link.

What I will say is this, it knocked the wind out of me in a way I’m still trying to explain to myself. And apparently the universe looked at…

Here’s to you, Mr. Robinson

Dan Dunn — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 13:02:23 GMT

I was out walking my dog last Monday morning when my phone buzzed with a text from Michelle, the wife of my dear friend Curtis. That alone felt unusual. I’d known Michelle for about fifteen years and couldn’t recall her ever texting me directly. When I saw her name pop up, I paused.

What could this be about? I wondered. And then, almost instantly, the pi…

Come Drink with Me and William H. Macy

Dan Dunn — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 20:16:48 GMT

Let’s just get this out of the way: this is one of those rare posts where I pause the usual nonsense about booze, pop culture, and the increasingly deranged garnish habits of modern bartenders in order to shamelessly promote an event. I realize promotional posts are inherently irritating. I find them irritating too. But look at it this way, I’m not tryi…

Looks Like I’m a Mystery Novelist Now

Dan Dunn — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 14:02:41 GMT

A few years ago, I had an idea for a screenplay set in my hometown of Philadelphia.

If you’ve ever watched a national Eagles or Phillies broadcast, you’ve seen the obligatory cutaway to Pat’s and Geno’s, two famous cheesesteak joints that sit right across from each other at the corner of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue in South Philly. Neon lights, lines …

Drink Better This National Margarita Day

Dan Dunn — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:03:15 GMT

Before we go any further: National Margarita Day is the topic of the latest episode of What We’re Drinking with Dan Dunn. I’m joined by margarita authority Caroline Pardilla and spirits savant Brad Japhe. If you’re reading this, you should be listening to that. Consider this your friendly nudge.

Now then...

This Sunday, February 22nd, is National Margarit…

A Mardi Gras Cocktail Companion

Dan Dunn — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 14:02:20 GMT

On the latest gloriously good-time-having episode of What We’re Drinking with Dan Dunn, I ride shotgun with spirits scribe Brad Japhe and New Orleans cocktail luminary Abigail Gullo of Loa on a high-octane ride through the cocktails that fuel Mardi Gras madness. Hurricanes, Sazeracs, Ramos Gin Fizzes, Vieux Carrés and more... and the stories behind them.

Steven Soderbergh Has Too Many Good Movies. I Ranked Them Anyway

Dan Dunn — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 14:02:53 GMT

Steven Soderbergh dropped by my podcast this week for what I’m pretty sure was his fifth appearance since we launched the show in 2019, which probably makes him less of a guest and more of a recurring character. He’s a genuinely good dude, and one of those people who somehow manages to be both wildly accomplished and completely unpretentious. I always e…

That Time Wine Enthusiast Interviewed Me About American Wino

Dan Dunn — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 14:02:23 GMT

For reasons I’ll get into in a future post, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my book American Wino, which came out nearly ten years ago. That sent me digging through the archives, where I stumbled across an interview I did with Wine Enthusiast back when the book was still new and I was still explaining myself to people.

Here’s a chunk of it. It hold…

Fine. You’re Right. I Forgot New York City.

Dan Dunn — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 19:48:09 GMT

Yesterday on this here Substack o’ mine, I unveiled my list of America’s best drinking towns for 2026. It was subjective. It was deeply researched. It was fueled by experience. And, predictably, it made a lot of people mad.

My inbox filled up almost immediately with messages from readers who were offended—deeply, personally offended—that I’d failed to in…

I Made a List of America’s Best Drinking Towns So You Don’t Have To

Dan Dunn — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 14:03:06 GMT

(Note to those who like listening to stuff: If your cockles are feeling under-warmed, check out the latest installment of 3-Minute Bartender, devoted entirely to Hot Buttered Rum)

As a proud member of the International Drinking Press, I’m frequently asked to weigh in on America’s best drinking cities. My usual reply to that, ahem, loaded question is what…