Whiskey Myers Introduces New Coffee Collaboration While Waiting on New Album

What does gritty Southern rock have to do with boutique coffee? Chart-topping country band, Whiskey Myers, introduces a new creative outlet in lieu of their typically packed tour schedule. The six-piece, genre-bending band—composed of Cody Cannon (lead vocals, guitar), Cody Tate (lead guitar, vocals, rhythm guitar), John Jeffers (lead guitar, slide guitar, lap steel, vocals), Jeff Hogg (drums), Jamey Gleaves (bass), and Tony Kent (percussion, cowbell, keys)—has spent over a decade on the road. 

On March 10, Whiskey Myers announced a new coffee line in partnership with a small Texas-based business, Gruene Coffee Haus. 

Talks began in March of last year when Whiskey Myers found themselves in a ‘what now?’ situation. The band who opened for the Rolling Stones at Chicago’s Soldier Field in 2019 and has consistently sold out their headlining shows since their 2007 inception needed to pivot. Without touring, they desperately sought ideas for branching out and interacting with fans. They even created a coloring book to keep in-line with pandemic fads. The band had just released their self-titled 2019 album and did not have enough new material to head back to the studio. Drummer, Jeff Hogg’s recent obsession sparked an idea.

“Coffee’s been my thing for the last five years,” says Hogg. “While we were touring, I would try to go find something local. Over the years, I found all these great coffee spots and great little towns…and donuts. Our management knows this, and when touring halted, they suggested we do our own. I instantly thought of my favorite—Greune’s Texas Pecan—from a coffee shop in New Braunfels, about 100 feet away from one of my favorite venues, Gruene Hall. I’ve already gotten a lot of people hooked since then, so I thought, ‘why don’t we collaborate with them?”

With plans for touring still uncertain and plenty of allotted downtime over the last year, the band re-entered the studio for round five. When they realized this unprompted break would last longer than a few weeks, the band’s primary songwriters—Cannon and Jeffers, both new fathers—got to work. They all regrouped at Sonic Ranch, a remote location outside El Paso where they recorded Whiskey Myers in 2019. The self-titled project signifies the first album they produced themselves. 

“Picking an album name is hard,” says Hogg. “But most of the songwriting was ours—they’re our ideas, our songs, and us producing this record. So the title says, ‘this is us.’ I don’t know if people think we changed our music, but it’s what we love, listen to, and want to play. That album was for us.” 

Whiskey Myers has continued upon that trajectory, owning their music from inception to production. Due later this year, the band’s upcoming album marks their evolution over the last 14 years. 

“The lyrical content is fittingly more family-based,” says Hogg. “It’s about being at home, being a parent, happier than some past stuff written from the road; we’re not taking things for granted.”

In the meantime, the band will continue connecting with their audience through their new line. This blend is just the beginning of the Whiskey Myers’ official coffee line. The plan, for now, is to team up with the local business to promote their choice blend. Hogg, who usually takes his coffee Sans sweetener and cream, is less interested in flavor than just good coffee. Looking ahead, Hogg hopes Whiskey Myers will eventually bottle its own cold brew for sale. 

To celebrate their first blend, Whiskey Myers and Gruene Coffee Haus are offering a limited edition, matte black lightning bolt mug that is only available in this bundle. 

“This medium roast, gourmet Costa Rican coffee is covered with our secret recipe of pecan, caramel, and vanilla extract oils,” says Gruene Coffee Haus. “We then stir in fresh pecan pieces from Oliver Pecan Company, located right here in Texas. When you grind your coffee to fill your morning cup, those pecan pieces get ground up with it like tiny exploding flavor capsules.”

Purchase Whiskey Myers + Gruene Coffee Haus’s East Texas Pecan Blend here—”With notes of soul + rock n’ roll, that’ll give you the early morning shakes.”