On the latest episode of UPROXX’s Grand Encounters, we’re diving into the world of L.A. street fashion and Black history to find a new and inventive cocktail. Mixologist and author Shannon Mustipher welcomes fashion designer John Wesley Dean III — founder of RENOWNED — to the bar to talk about his vibe, life, and experience before creating a cocktail just for him. It’s a classic tale of a bartender taking their patron on a journey of experience and flavor.
The conversation between Mustipher and Dean ping pongs between family history, Black history, and fashion. Dean lays down the importance of his name as a symbol in street fashion, how his father instilled him with power in making his business decisions, and then how Black history is important to Dean’s sense of what fashion can be.
All of this leads to Shannon Mustipher crafting a citrus-forward take on an old-fashioned — called “The Wise Louis” — using Grand Marnier Cuvee Louis Alexandre. Dean’s reaction says it all as he takes his first sip, but you’ll have to watch the full episode above to learn more about the cocktail and how to make it while also getting the chance to hear how John Wesley Dean III broke into fashion.