LeGrand on growing bourbon brand, expanding business portfolio

The basics:

• Eric LeGrand reflects on growing his bourbon brand and broader ventures
• Highlights challenges including cost of goods and business operations
• Plans new barrel releases and expanded outreach in 2026
• Bourbon brand supports Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation

Eric LeGrand’s business portfolio continues to expand beyond one lane.

From his growing coffee house brand to his bourbon venture and the connections he’s building around both, LeGrand’s entrepreneurial efforts have become increasingly multifaceted. But still anchored his remarkable, courageous story; his hard work and grit; and his commitment to his home community and state, philanthropy and finding a cure to paralysis; and innovative partnerships.

NJBIZ recently reported on the expansion of LeGrand Coffee House with a second location set to open in Middletown this spring. The conversation continued with LeGrand discussing the biggest lessons he has learned since becoming a business owner – and the biggest challenges.

“I would say the cost of goods,” LeGrand told NJBIZ. “Always trying to maintain your cost of goods with your sales as well as your payrolls. That is the biggest juggle you have to deal with on a week-to-week basis. Some weeks’ sales can be great, and your numbers can look great – and then one week, your sales aren’t as good.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned is just when things happen, don’t lose your mind,” the Rutgers University legend explained. “Don’t flip out, pause, take a step back – breathe. And say – OK, how can I fix this?”

He noted owning a business is a full-time commitment that requires constant attention and care. “There’s always something,” he said.

‘The pinch-me moment’

Another of LeGrand’s ventures, as NJBIZ has previously reported extensively on, is Eric LeGrand Bourbon. The brand launched in 2023 with Brian Axelrod, an entrepreneur and veteran of the spirits industry, whom NJBIZ has also profiled.

In fact, the brand just celebrated its third anniversary. In 2025, it notched a key partnership, collaborating with LeGrand’s alma mater Rutgers on the Scarlet Knight Series, which featured the iconic block “R” on the bottle.

It was the very definition of a full-circle moment – and also a process to get there.

“We always thought if we could get Rutgers behind it and use that block ‘R,’ that would be great,” said LeGrand. “But I’m like – I know it’s not an easy process, but I didn’t know what the process was like. Then going through that nine-month process of getting approvals – pulling your hair out of your head. It was like – wow, this is not as easy as I thought.

“When Brian sent me that first picture when he was down in Bardstown (Ky.) – on the bottle, the label,” LeGrand recounted, noting that he had seen the mock-ups, which he said looked awesome. “But seeing the actual bottle after it got filled with the bourbon – that was the pinch-me moment. We actually did this – we made it happen, which is insane.”

Breaking out the bourbon

The collaboration marked the first-ever spirits partnership for Rutgers University, with the first limited-edition drop debuting in October. The brand also entered a previous multiyear partnership with Rutgers Athletics, to feature Eric LeGrand Bourbon at Rutgers Athletics events.

LeGrand said the feedback was very positive — particularly from the Rutgers folks sharing a connection with both Eric’s story and school.

“There’s so many living alumni, especially here in New Jersey. We feel like everyone should have a bottle of that,” said LeGrand, adding, whether you played a sport or just went to school at Rutgers. “Everyone should have that bottle. So, we’re continuing to try to push to make sure that people know that bottle exists. We have a lot of pride at Rutgers – so make sure you grab yours.”

LeGrand has also continued doing appearances at a number of bars, restaurants and liquor stores to support and promote the brand, along with Axelrod.

LeGrand discussed some of the 2026 goals and areas of focus for the bourbon brand.

“We’ll have one of our barrel releases that we’re going to do ourselves again like we did last year,” he explained. “We did a seven-year release at a cask strength that we sold out in 44 hours. We had one barrel. There was about 120-something bottles.”

Giving back with Team LeGrand

In 2024, LeGrand did a single barrel drop. Each of the drops received rave reviews from the bourbon world.

“We’re going to drop some more higher-age bourbon – about an eight or nine-year with that cask strength again and get people fired up for that coming out,” said LeGrand. He added he hopes that drop will hit this summer. “We’ll get people to enjoy that – and then we’ll see what else we do with our Rutgers collaboration.

“We got more in store.”

A central element to the bourbon brand is the support it provides for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which aims to find a cure for paralysis. LeGrand has worked closely with the organization through his Team LeGrand, after he was paralyzed in 2010 going for a tackle during a game.

The bourbon brand donates $5.20 of every case sold to the foundation, that amount a nod to the No. 52 he wore at Rutgers.

“It’s been great to be able to donate back to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to help push our goal of finding a cure for paralysis,” said LeGrand.

Other upcoming events for Team LeGrand in support of the Reeve Foundation include a second annual golf outing in July and an annual walk at the end of the September.

“And I’m sure we’ll do ‘An Evening with Eric LeGrand’ or ‘LeGrand Night’ again toward the end of the year,” he said. “Those three events have been the staple now for Team LeGrand.”

In between those events, LeGrand also does pop-up appearances where people donate proceeds to the foundation. He stressed the need to keep going and keep growing toward that goal.

“And keep the mission where the mission is,” he said.

A people person

As if that wasn’t enough, LeGrand just this month started season three of his podcast: “A Cup of bELieve”

LeGrand expands his brand … again

Read NJBIZ’s conversation with entrepreneur Eric LeGrand about the new LeGrand Coffee House coming to Monmouth County and more here.

It was certainly a busy March between the anniversary of the bourbon brand, the drop of the new podcast season, and the home stretch of preparing for the Middletown coffee house open — which he hopes takes place before Memorial Day.

Also in March, LeGrand was recognized as one of the top NJBIZ In the Lead 2026: Minority-Owned Businesses.

“You have all of these things happening at once – when you started on this entrepreneurial journey, is this what you envisioned? What’s been what you thought it might be; and what’s been different than what maybe you set out to do?” NJBIZ asked.

“I still think the biggest thing is the people,” LeGrand explained. “I am having so many different conversations now with people from all different walks of life – some great conversations, some weird conversations. It’s all about that journey. Whether I’m out at a bar or restaurant – and people are enjoying the bourbon, or if I’m at the coffee shop. Or I’m out and about, people are yelling, ‘Eric, love the bourbon – Eric, love the coffee.’

It’s not like they just know me as the Rutgers football player now. They know me as the bourbon guy, the coffee guy.

He said it is hitting in ways he could have never imagined.

“It’s not like they just know me as the Rutgers football player now. They know me as the bourbon guy, the coffee guy,” he said. “It’s just not that one title of the Rutgers football player that got injured. Now, it’s the businessman, entrepreneur Eric LeGrand, which I think is pretty damn cool.”

Stay tuned for the final part of NJBIZ’s discussion with LeGrand.