The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Year in Review and the Year Ahead

The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Year in Review and the Year Ahead

Author: Ricochet December 27, 2025 Duration: 56:23
To close out the year the 3WHH barflies recorded a special Boxing Day edition, in which, following the obligatory McDonald's news for John and a breaking story that indicates President Trump really does mean it about defending Western Christendom, we review our predictions for 2025 from a year ago (which, unlike the old McLaughlin Group predictions, turned out to be fairly good in most cases); then discuss what each of think is the most significant story of 2025, and offer predictions for 2026. 

We couldn't make the Substack livestream work, but we're going to sort that out in the next week before our first show of the new season next weekend, which will be 2026!

Grab a glass and settle in for 3 Whisky Happy Hour, where the week's news and cultural shifts get a thorough-and spirited-examination. Hosts Steven Hayward, John Yoo, and the enigmatic "Lucretia" blend their expertise in law, philosophy, and political commentary, offering a perspective that’s as substantive as it is refreshingly unscripted. The conversation flows like a good pour, moving from the immediate headlines to deeper, often overlooked principles that shape current events. This isn't a dry recap; it's a lively, meandering discussion where complex ideas become accessible, and analysis is always accompanied by a sense of camaraderie. You'll find the tone is that of a sharp, informal debate among friends who aren't afraid to challenge conventional wisdom. Produced by Ricochet, this podcast stands out in the crowded fields of news and politics by prioritizing genuine dialogue over partisan soundbites. Each episode feels like you’ve pulled up a chair at a table where wit and insight are always on the menu. Whether they're unpacking a Supreme Court decision or tracing a philosophical concept through modern politics, the hosts ensure the discourse is both enlightening and thoroughly engaging. For anyone looking to understand the 'why' behind the news with a dose of character, this is your regular invitation to a different kind of happy hour.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

3 Whisky Happy Hour
Podcast Episodes
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Sister Souljah Time for the Dems? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:14
The whole gang is finally back together behind the bar this week, with John Yoo in the host chair skillfully leading our unruly gang in a round-robin three-subject format that we're alternating this year.Steve leads off…
The Three-Whisky Happy Hour: Emergency Midweek Edition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:04
Why let our frenemies at the Commentary podcast (frenemies since they dissed the sacred McRib recently) have all the fun with their emergency podcasts: after today's errant Supreme Court rulings, it was necessary for the…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: 180 Proof Edition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:22
John Yoo is away this week, so the 3WHH has brought in a 180-proof guest in John's place—the great Richard Epstein, who speaks at an average rate of 125 words a minute, with occasional gusts of 200 words per minute. We d…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: The Great Reset [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:56
Our long-running intramural argument on this podcast over the Ukraine War has become just like the Ukraine War itself—lots of casualties on both sides, but very little movement from week to week. But is Trump actually on…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Is Trump Re-Writing Executive Power? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:03
With Lucretia hosting both the episode and the bar this week (with three different whiskies just for herself), we manage to keep John Yoo from excessive gloating about the Eagles win in the Super Bowl by distracting him…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Trump's Five Big Fights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:46
We're only 19 days into Trump's term, but it seems like 19 months have passed already since January 20. When Alexander Hamilton wrote of "energy in the executive," he had no idea that a real estate tycoon would become th…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Getting Right with Free Speech [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:18
The 3WHH bartenders raise their glasses high for the first 100 hours of Trump II, which bid to replace FDR's famous "Hundred Days" for breathtaking executive action. You'd think that this is Trump's first term, and metap…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Non-Jejune Edition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:06
Nothing "jejune" about this edition, except perhaps for the first-ever use of "jejune" in a podcast, but it is the perfect term to describe Joe Biden's "farewell address," which, aside from its jejune content, is a most…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: From Emigrating to Immigrating [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:40
With this episode the Three Whisky Happy Hour emigrates into its very own identity on Ricochet and Steve's new group Substack, "Political Questions," but not to worry—the old Power Line Show will live on in its old forma…