Amid "Yellowstone" star Cole Hauser's legal scuffle with series creator Taylor Sheridan over their respective coffee brands, Hauser unveiled on Wednesday (Dec. 13) his Lazy K Bar whiskey.
"I'm proud to announce that I have teamed up with some friends to start a whiskey brand inspired by the heritage and grit of the pioneers that built Montana," Hauser wrote in an Instagram caption. "The ranch, and namesake of our [Lazy K Bar whiskey], represents the long standing traditions and hard-fought history of ranchers in Montana. Our 8-year old premium whiskey is now available exclusively in Montana and was awarded 98 points by the Tasting Panel magazine. If you're in big sky country, I hope you'll grab a bottle."
Per a November report by San Angelo Live, "Yellowstone" creator Sheridan's Bosque Ranch has filed a lawsuit against series star Hauser's Free Reign Coffee Company.
Hauser co-founded the Free Reign Coffee Company earlier this year with Karl Pfluger, Aron Marquez and Paul Anderson. They've partnered with San Angelo, Texas' Decker family to roll out a line of coffee that's inspired by cowboys as tough and resilient as Hauser's Rip Wheeler character. Per its website, Free Reign set out to craft a product that "embodied the dreamer's mindset and callused hands of those cowboys [Hauser] admired."
Within a month of Free Reign's debut, Bosque Ranch filed a trademark infringement lawsuit, citing unfair competition and false advertising.
San Angelo Live reports that "the complaint alleges that the defendants used a brand mark strikingly similar to Bosque Ranch's registered trademark, potentially misleading consumers."
Free Reign uses an interlocking "FR" logo, while Bosque Ranch has used an interlocking "BR" logo since 2004. Bosque Ranch obtained federal registrations for its branding in 2020.
In addition, Bosque Ranch has sold coffee since June which is marketed as reflecting a cowboy lifestyle.
