Would You Switch Your Coffee to Save Your Rights? (ft. Caliber Coffee)

State of the Second hosts John and Kaylee sit down with Brian from Caliber Coffee, the coffee brand that now sits under Tactical Eats and shares ownership with Palmetto State Armory through JJE Capital. The conversation opens loose, with rapid-fire coffee questions, brewing-method debates, and a long, funny detour into 90s snacks, kids, and impulse buys. Then it turns to the real reason Caliber exists. Brian explains that money spent on the coffee goes right back into manufacturing guns and ammunition and into funding amicus briefs the PSA team is part of. The brand's motto, "freedom in every cup," is described not as a message but as the actual model. Through the Joe 2A Joe program, a portion of proceeds donates coffee to active-duty members, veterans, and first responders, with about three to four tons given away in the company's first year. The heart of the episode is the idea Kaylee calls your "second vote": voting with your dollar. The hosts and Brian argue that consumers are increasingly choosing where their money goes once it leaves their account, and that a growing "parallel economy" lets people buy quality products from companies that are openly pro-America and pro-Second Amendment. Brian is candid that taking that stance can cost a brand shelf space, and his answer is blunt: if a store won't carry them because of who they are, they don't want that store. John pushes the convenience problem too, noting people grab the easy $8 Starbucks latte or a Coca-Cola-family energy drink rather than picking a brand that supports their values. Brian also walks through the product line and his own path in. A former sports-partnerships professional, he accepted a dream job in Atlanta in March 2020 right as live sports and entertainment shut down, started making hot sauces during COVID, and was recruited by ownership to launch the coffee brand. Caliber is now in Food Lion, some Ace Hardware locations, and hundreds of independent retailers, with online subscriptions that have tripled. The lineup is expanding into Reload Energy drinks built on nostalgic 90s flavors with zero sugar and no artificial dyes, Bull Barrel beef jerky sold exclusively through PSA, and a future sauce line. Coffee runs about $14.99 a bag. The episode closes on the recurring pitch: supporting the mission can be as small as the energy drink or bag of jerky you were going to buy anyway, plus the standing plug for GOA's GOALS event in Knoxville on August 9th and 10th. Linksammosquared.comderya.usQuestions this episode answers What is Caliber Coffee's relationship to Palmetto State Armory and JJE Capital? Caliber Coffee sits under the Tactical Eats umbrella and shares ownership with Palmetto State Armory through JJE Capital. That common ownership is why buying the coffee ties directly into PSA's firearms and rights work. Where does the money from Caliber Coffee and Tactical Eats products actually go? Money spent on the coffee goes back into manufacturing guns and ammunition and into funding amicus briefs the PSA team is part of. Brian frames the brand's motto, "freedom in every cup," as the actual business model rather than just a slogan. What is the Joe 2A Joe program and how much coffee has it donated? Joe 2A Joe donates a portion of proceeds as coffee to active-duty members, veterans, and first responders. About three to four tons were given away in the company's first year. What does Kaylee mean by your "second vote" and voting with your dollar? Your second vote is the choice of where your money goes once it leaves your account, treating each purchase as a vote for the values a company stands for. Caliber's pitch is that buying from openly pro-America, pro-Second Amendment brands is part of a growing parallel economy that lets consumers spend on their values. How did Brian end up starting the coffee brand? Brian came from sports partnerships and accepted a dream job in Atlanta in March 2020, right as live sports and entertainment shut down. He started making hot sauces during COVID, which led ownership to recruit him to launch the coffee brand. What products are in the Tactical Eats lineup beyond coffee? Beyond coffee, the lineup includes Reload Energy drinks built on nostalgic 90s flavors with zero sugar and no artificial dyes, Bull Barrel beef jerky sold exclusively through PSA, and a sauce line still to come. Coffee runs about $14.99 a bag. Why would a brand risk losing retail shelf space by being openly pro-Second Amendment? Taking an open pro-Second Amendment stance can cost a brand shelf space, but Brian's answer is blunt: if a store won't carry them because of who they are, they don't want that store. The bet is that customers who share those values will seek the brand out anyway. Where can you buy Caliber Coffee and sign up for a subscription? Caliber Coffee is sold in Food Lion, some Ace Hardware locations, and hundreds of independent retailers, plus online subscriptions that have tripled. Bull Barrel beef jerky is carried exclusively through Palmetto State Armory. Chapters 00:00 — Welcome back and meet Brian from Caliber Coffee 00:53 — AAC and Palmetto State Armory guest gift 02:50 — Ammo Squared sponsor read 03:40 — Rapid fire: black coffee, brewing, and flavors 13:46 — Impulse buys, kids, and 90s nostalgia 20:48 — Caliber under Tactical Eats and where the money goes 23:15 — The second vote and voting with your dollar 24:43 — Freedom in every cup and the Joe 2A Joe program 25:50 — Tactical Eats lineup and Brian's COVID hot sauce start 32:03 — Soapbox: being unapologetically pro-America 41:50 — Subscriptions, retailers, and beef jerky flavors 44:16 — Road trip snacks and clean ingredients 53:55 — Small ways to support the mission 57:24 — Where to find Caliber Coffee and GOALS wrap-up About the guest Brian leads the coffee brand at Caliber Coffee, which sits under Tactical Eats and shares ownership with Palmetto State Armory through JJE Capital. He started his career in sports partnerships and had accepted a dream job in Atlanta in March 2020, around the time live sports and entertainment shut down. During COVID he began making hot sauces from scratch, which led ownership to recruit him to start the coffee brand. He describes himself as a brand guy and has since helped expand the product line into energy drinks, beef jerky, and a coming sauce line. He has three kids under five, two boys and a newborn girl. [VERIFY] Full name and title not stated in the episode beyond "Brian." Key quotes "It's about fueling Americans with the freedoms that they enjoy." — Brian "Well, if a store's not going to take us on because of who we are, then we don't want to do business with the store in the first place." — Brian "It's really driven a lot of people to consider their second vote." — Kaylee "When you buy our coffee, it might be a little more expensive than, you know, Folgers, which we try to keep everything pretty market value, but it's worth it." — Brian "When you know you can trust a brand and then you know that you can trust all their ancillary brands, all of a sudden, you feel a huge boost of confidence as a consumer." — Kaylee "Our rights were fought for. Our rights were bled for. People died for our rights." — Brian