If you’ve been searching for the Cole Hauser coffee brand, you’ve likely already heard the buzz surrounding Free Rein Coffee Company — the bold, Western-inspired coffee label co-founded by the Yellowstone star best known for playing the rugged ranch hand Rip Wheeler. But Free Rein is far more than a celebrity vanity project.
This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know. The brand’s origin story, its product lineup. How it grew from a regional curiosity to a nationally distributed phenomenon, and what makes it stand apart in one of the most competitive beverage categories in the world.
Who Is Cole Hauser — and Why Did He Start a Coffee Brand?
Cole Hauser has been a Hollywood staple for decades, with memorable roles in Good Will Hunting, 2 Fast 2 Furious, and Tiësto. But it was his long-running portrayal of Rip Wheeler on Paramount Network’s Yellowstone that introduced him to tens of millions of new fans — and to the cowboy way of life in a deeply personal way.
Hauser had ridden horses and worked outdoors before Yellowstone, but years spent filming on location in the expansive ranchlands of Montana gave him a firsthand appreciation for the daily rhythms of cowboy culture. One thing he noticed almost immediately: cowboys and ranch hands run on coffee. The pre-dawn cup, the mid-morning thermos, the fuel that powers long days of physical labor under open skies — coffee was as central to the cowboy lifestyle as the saddle or the rope.
That observation planted a seed. If he was going to build a brand that genuinely embodied the American West — not as a costume or a marketing angle, but as an authentic way of life — coffee was the natural vehicle.
The Origin Story: From Longhorn Coffee to Free Rein
The Cole Hauser coffee brand didn’t materialize from scratch. Its roots trace back to San Angelo, Texas, where entrepreneurs Karl Pfluger, Aron Marquez, and Paul Anderson had already been quietly building something special. They had discovered a regional roastery with over two decades of craft roasting experience and a devoted local following, but the operation was undercapitalized and largely unknown outside West Texas.
The three entrepreneurs knew they had a product people loved. The challenge was scale — and a brand identity strong enough to carry it nationally. That’s when Cole Hauser entered the picture.
After meeting Hauser at a dinner in Florida, the four men quickly discovered shared values: big dreams, a hard-work ethic, and a genuine desire to build something that everyday Americans could be proud of. They didn’t just want to slap a celebrity’s face on a bag of coffee. They wanted a brand with soul — one that, as co-founder Pfluger put it, would feel like “a brand that’s been around for 50 years that people just have stumbled across.”
The original business — founded by a veteran and originally called Longhorn Coffee Company — was acquired by the group, rebranded, and relaunched in October 2023 as Free Rein Coffee Company. The name itself captures the ethos perfectly: freedom, open range, no limits.
What Is Free Rein Coffee Company?
Free Rein Coffee Company is a San Angelo, Texas-based coffee brand co-founded by Cole Hauser, Karl Pfluger, Aron Marquez, and Paul Anderson. It sells premium 100% Arabica coffee in whole bean, ground, and Keurig K-Cup pod formats, with a product lineup built around a Western aesthetic and a mission-driven identity.
The company’s guiding philosophy — “Get Up and Get After It™” — reflects the same hard-charging, early-rising spirit that defines both the cowboy lifestyle and the communities Free Rein aims to serve.
The Mission: Serve Those Who Serve™
What truly distinguishes the Cole Hauser coffee brand from competitors is its social mission. Free Rein was built from the ground up with a give-back model at its core. The brand is committed to supporting:
- Active military personnel
- Veterans
- First responders
- Nurses
- Teachers
Verified members of these groups receive a 20% discount on all purchases through ID.me verification. The brand also channels proceeds toward the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a nonprofit that provides educational scholarships and financial support to the children and families of fallen Special Operations warriors.
This isn’t a checkbox philanthropic add-on. Hauser has been a longtime advocate for veteran causes, and the mission is baked into Free Rein’s identity at every level — from its “Serve Those Who Serve™” tagline to its ambassador partnerships and retail launch strategy.
The Product Lineup: What Free Rein Coffee Offers
Free Rein Coffee’s product names are as Western-flavored as the brand itself, each one evoking wide-open landscapes and honest hard work. Here’s what the brand currently offers:
American Dirt™ — Dark Roast
Cole Hauser’s personal go-to blend. American Dirt is a bold, full-bodied dark roast made from 100% Arabica beans. It delivers deep, roasty flavor with earthy undertones and a dark chocolate finish. It’s available in ground coffee and single-serve K-Cup pods, and it’s compatible with most standard Keurig brewing systems.
Mark Wahlberg — Free Rein’s celebrity investor and ambassador — has publicly stated that American Dirt is his preferred blend, drinking it both as drip coffee and pulling espresso shots from it.
Homestead™ — Medium Roast
For coffee drinkers who want balance over intensity, Homestead is Free Rein’s medium roast option. It offers a smoother, more approachable cup while still delivering the quality and craftsmanship that defines the brand. Available in ground coffee and K-Cup pods.
Prospect™ — Light Roast
The lightest offering in the lineup, Prospect is a clean, bright roast that highlights the natural characteristics of the Arabica beans. Currently available in ground coffee.
The Growth Story: From DTC Launch to Walmart’s Shelves
Free Rein Coffee Company launched its direct-to-consumer (DTC) online store in October 2023. The response was, by any measure, extraordinary. Within roughly a year of its online debut, the brand had accumulated over 250,000 customers — a remarkable figure for a startup in the brutally competitive coffee category.
That momentum carried the brand to its next major milestone: a first-ever national retail expansion, announced in September 2024, exclusively through Walmart. Free Rein products are now available in more than 1,700 Walmart locations and on Walmart.com, with ground coffee starting at $12.97.
To mark the Walmart launch, the brand executed a storytelling tour called the “Road to Yellowstone” — an RV road trip that wound through Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana, stopping at 19 Walmart store locations along the way. Cole Hauser and other brand affiliates made surprise appearances throughout the journey, generating genuine grassroots enthusiasm.
“Through this partnership with Walmart, we’re going to get our great coffee into the hands of the hard-working folks who make our country go,” Hauser said at the launch.
Celebrity Power: Mark Wahlberg and the Growing Team
Cole Hauser isn’t the only celebrity name associated with Free Rein. In June 2024, Mark Wahlberg officially joined the company as both an investor and brand ambassador — a move that significantly amplified the brand’s reach and credibility.
Wahlberg is famously devoted to his early-morning routine — his so-called “4 a.m. Club” — which aligns naturally with Free Rein’s “Get Up and Get After It™” ethos. He’s also a longtime supporter of veteran causes, which made Free Rein’s mission a personal fit, not just a commercial one.
Forrie J. Smith, who also stars in Yellowstone as Lloyd Pierce, joined as an ambassador and investor as well, further deepening the brand’s connection to the show’s massive, dedicated audience.
The dual power of Yellowstone‘s cultural moment and the brand’s genuine social mission has given Free Rein a durability that purely celebrity-driven product launches often lack.
What Makes Free Rein Stand Out in a Crowded Market?
The U.S. coffee market is enormous — worth an estimated $28 billion — and intensely competitive. From legacy household names like Folgers and Maxwell House to premium craft roasters, canned RTD options, and a growing wave of celebrity-backed brands, the field has never been more crowded.
So what gives Free Rein Coffee Company a legitimate shot at standing out?
1. Authentic Roasting Heritage
The coffee itself comes from a roastery with over 20 years of hands-on craft experience in West Texas. That foundation lends the product a quality and character that purpose-built celebrity coffees often lack. You’re not buying a name — you’re buying a legacy.
2. A Mission That Resonates
The “Serve Those Who Serve™” initiative isn’t a marketing slogan. It’s a structural commitment — discounts verified through ID.me, a “Buy a Bag, Give a Cup™” pledge for every Walmart purchase, and charitable donations to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. For Americans who care about supporting veterans and first responders, this gives every coffee purchase a meaning beyond the cup.
3. Cultural Timing
Yellowstone became one of the most-watched cable series in American television history. Its portrayal of Western values, rugged individualism, and cowboy culture struck a deep cultural chord — particularly among audiences in rural and suburban America. Free Rein is the direct beneficiary of that cultural wave, speaking to the same demographic in language they already respond to.
4. The Right Retail Partner
Entering Walmart — rather than going premium-only through specialty retailers — was a deliberate and strategically savvy move. It signals that Free Rein wants to be a coffee for working Americans, not a luxury item for the elite. That aligns with the brand’s values and its target customer in a way that feels honest rather than calculated.
5. Strong Product Variety
Offering whole bean, ground, and K-Cup options across dark, medium, and light roasts means Free Rein meets consumers where they are — whether they’re grinding their own beans, using a drip machine, or grabbing a quick pod for a Keurig. Accessibility without sacrificing quality.
The Trademark Controversy: Free Rein vs. Taylor Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch Coffee
No brand story is without its complications, and Free Rein’s is no exception. Shortly after Free Rein launched, the company found itself in legal hot water with Bosque Ranch Headquarters LLC, a company associated with Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan.
Sheridan had partnered with Community Coffee to launch Bosque Ranch Craft Coffee, his own Western-themed coffee brand. The crux of the dispute: both brands used interlocking letter logos styled after cattle brands — a visual tradition deeply embedded in Western ranching culture. Bosque Ranch alleged that Free Rein’s logo was “strikingly similar” to its registered trademark and had the potential to mislead consumers.
While the case underscored the intensely competitive nature of Western-themed coffee branding, it also highlighted just how much cultural real estate was at stake. When the creator of Yellowstone and one of its lead actors find themselves in competing corners of the same coffee market, you know the category has captured something bigger than just caffeine.
Free Rein Coffee and the Lifestyle Brand Vision
From the beginning, Free Rein positioned itself as more than a coffee company. Alongside its coffee products, the brand offers a line of lifestyle merchandise — including hats, shirts, mugs, and bandanas — that lets customers wear the ethos as much as drink it.
The hats, for example, are described in distinctly no-nonsense terms: “Made to be folded up and stuffed in the back pocket of a pair of jeans or tossed onto the dashboard of a pickup.” That kind of authentic product writing signals a brand that knows its audience intimately and respects them enough not to dress things up.
Whether the lifestyle arm grows into something more substantial — apparel, accessories, or even a full Western-living brand — remains to be seen. But the infrastructure and the cultural credibility are already in place.
Where to Buy Free Rein Coffee
Free Rein Coffee is currently available through multiple channels:
- Online: Directly at freereincoffee.com, where the full product lineup, lifestyle merchandise, and the ID.me discount program for service members are all accessible.
- Walmart: Available in more than 1,700 stores nationwide, as well as on Walmart.com. Ground coffee and K-Cup pods are available, starting at $12.97.
If you qualify for the military, veteran, first responder, nurse, or teacher discount. The ID.me verification process is straightforward and unlocks 20% off all purchases.
Final Verdict: Is Cole Hauser Coffee Brand Worth It?
The most important question for any coffee brand — celebrity-backed or not — is whether the product is actually good. And by all accounts, Free Rein’s coffee delivers.
Built on a 20-year roasting heritage in San Angelo, Texas, made from 100% Arabica beans, and crafted in three distinct roast profiles to satisfy different preferences. Free Rein is a serious coffee at an accessible price point.
That clarity of purpose — knowing exactly who you’re for — is what separates Free Rein from the dozens of other celebrity coffee brands that have come and gone. Cole Hauser didn’t chase a trend. He built a brand around a set of values he already held, partnered with people who shared them, and found a coffee product worthy of the story.
Whether you’re a Yellowstone fan, a veteran looking to support a brand that gives back. Or simply someone who wants bold, honest American coffee without the pretension, Free Rein is worth your morning cup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cole Hauser coffee brand called?
Cole Hauser coffee brand is called Free Rein Coffee Company. It was co-founded by Hauser alongside Karl Pfluger, Aron Marquez, and Paul Anderson, and launched in October 2023.
Where is Free Rein Coffee made?
Free Rein Coffee is roasted in San Angelo, Texas. Using a family-run roastery with over 20 years of craft roasting experience.
What roasts does Free Rein Coffee offer?
Free Rein currently offers three roasts: American Dirt™ (dark roast), Homestead™ (medium roast), and Prospect™ (light roast), available in ground, whole bean, and K-Cup pod formats.
Does Free Rein Coffee offer military or veteran discounts?
Yes. Free Rein offers a 20% discount to active military, veterans, first responders, nurses, and teachers through ID.me verification on their website.
Where can I buy Free Rein Coffee?
ree Rein Coffee is available at freereincoffee.com and in over 1,700 Walmart stores across the United States, as well as on Walmart.com.
Who else is involved with Free Rein Coffee?
Mark Wahlberg joined Free Rein in June 2024 as an investor and brand ambassador. Yellowstone actor Forrie J. Smith is also an investor and ambassador for the brand.