Today, we’re diving into the harrowing tale of the Donner Party as they ventured into the treacherous Sierra Nevada mountains and reached Truckee Lake, a pivotal moment in their tragic journey. We'll explore the challenges they faced, the decisions that led them to this crucial stop, and the lessons learned from their experiences.

But that's not all! We'll also uncork a fascinating discussion on how food and drink shaped the social interactions and morale of the group during these difficult times. We'll even touch on the role of wine in history, highlighting how it has been a source of comfort and community throughout the ages.

So grab your favorite beverage and settle in as we blend history with a touch of culinary exploration. Let’s get started!

Pour yourself a generous glass and settle in, because this episode uncorks one of the strangest, most unsettling family sagas to ever drift out of the California foothills. The Hammer family’s story is part true crime, part tragic legacy, and part “wait… what?”—the kind of tale that leaves you swirling your wine just to buy your brain a moment to catch up.

We’ll wander through generations of secrets, disappearances, conflict, and the eerie lore that seems to cling to the Hammer name like dust on an old ranch gate. With every sip, we peel back another layer—examining the rumors, the records, and the baffling twists that make this family’s history feel almost mythic.

Expect unexpected turns, messy human choices, and the kind of head-tilting moments that pair beautifully with a bold red… or maybe something stronger.

So grab your wine, settle in, and get ready to be Buzzed & Baffled as we dive deep into the haunting legacy of the Hammer family. Cheers—if that’s the right word for this story.

Grab a glass and settle in as we uncork one of the most unbelievable true-crime stories in American history. In this episode, we dive into the 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping—when a school bus full of children vanished, triggering a nationwide panic and a rescue story that’s stranger than fiction. We break down the chilling plan, the improbable escape, and how a small town was forever changed. Pour yourself something bold, because this case goes deep underground… literally.

This week on Buzzed & Baffled, we uncork a glass and dive into the wild world of two internet legends: Cinnamon the capybara, the chill queen of snack-sharing, and Freya the walrus, the beloved boat-sinking icon who stole hearts across the globe. Join us as we pair their larger-than-life stories with the perfect pour, exploring viral fame, animal antics, and the surprisingly human emotions behind the creatures we adored. Sip, laugh, and get a little sentimental—because nothing pairs better with wine than stories that make you feel something.

They called her Diamond Doris Payne — the woman who could walk into Cartier, smile at the salesman, and walk out with a diamond worth more than most people’s homes. No guns. No disguises. Just elegance, confidence… and impeccable taste.

Tonight, we’re pouring a glass of something rich and complex — much like Doris herself. Maybe a deep red with notes of danger, or a sparkling white with a hint of mischief. Because Doris wasn’t just a thief — she was an artist. A woman who turned deception into a kind of performance, one that lasted over six decades.

So, as the wine breathes, let’s slip into her world: velvet gloves, glittering stones, and the thrill of walking away with something priceless.

Welcome back to Buzzed and Baffled — the podcast where a little wine helps us dive into history’s mysteries and tragedies. Tonight, we’re heading into stormy waters, back to November 1975, when the mighty freighter Edmund Fitzgerald vanished beneath the waves of Lake Superior. Was it the weather, the ship’s design, or something more? Grab your glass, steady your sea legs, and join us as we sail through the legend, the lore, and the lasting questions of one of the Great Lakes’ most haunting shipwrecks.

What happens when a small Wisconsin town with way too many ghost stories crosses paths with one of New York’s most creative—and chaotic—art schools? You get “Second Salam.”

Whitewater, Wisconsin has been called the second Salem—witch legends, haunted cemeteries, and a university that swears it’s not cursed. Meanwhile, over at Pratt Institute, students have been seeing things that make artistic inspiration look more like a séance.

So tonight, we’re opening a bottle, connecting the dots, and asking—what’s really brewing beneath all that folklore and fine art?

Because when Wisconsin witches meet Buzzed and Baffled… you just know it’s going to get weird.

Grab a glass and get ready to question your sanity—literally. In this episode of Buzzed and Baffled, we uncork a bottle and dive into the infamous Rosenhan Experiment, where perfectly sane people pretended to hear voices and ended up in psychiatric hospitals. What followed was a mind-bending look at how we define madness, who gets to decide, and how the system completely lost its marbles. Join us as we sip, laugh, and spiral into the blurred lines between sanity, wine, and everything in between.