Luke Grimes Talks 'Yellowstone' Spinoff, and Why He Loves High West Whiskey

When Yellowstone ended in 2024, fans thought they had seen the last of the various members of the Dutton clan. Just kidding! The ever-expanding frontier of Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone universe will forever be a defining aspect of TV in the 2020s. And, coming in the Fall of 2025, one character from Yellowstone, Kayce Dutton, as played by Luke Grimes, is getting his own show in the form of Y: Marshals.

But, Grimes' connection to Kayce doesn't end when the cameras stop rolling. As a country singer, and a whiskey lover, there's certainly something of Luke Grimes in Kayce Dutton and vice versa. Case-in-point: Recently Grimes has become an for the excellent Whiskey brand, High West, located in Park City Utah.

With several varieties of High West — including a Double Rye, a Bourbon, and wonderfully blended Whiskey called "Campfire" — this is one Whiskey brand to watch. High West also puts its money back into various aspects of nature, which Grimes finds to be "authentic" and "real."

Men's Journal caught up with Luke Grimes to discuss High West whiskey, the brand's "Protect the West" project, and why he's back in the Yellowstone world with his own show.

How is Y: Marshals different than Yellowstone?

Well, Yellowstone obviously made the end of Kayce's story so perfect. He sort of gets what he always wanted, which is family, his own little slice of heaven, and he gets to be cowboying every day. He kind of threw his badge in the bushes. And so, with this, I was like, how are we going to make this work? Is he going to go pick the badge back up? Why would he do that? We had to find the reason why, and we finally did, and I think we had to make it make sense; otherwise, I wasn't going to do it just to do it.

We got a new showrunner [for Y: Marshals], Spencer Hudnut, who did the show SEAL Team. Obviously, he has a background doing stuff with special operations and all that. The idea he brought to me was actually really special, and I thought: "Hey, this kind of opens up the whole world for Kayce now." He can be sort of a different guy than we've seen him be before. But I think also the guy that everybody wanted to see him be.

Why are westerns having such a moment right now?

My idea is that maybe as our culture gets more and more inundated with technology and being online, we crave the opposite; being in nature and being outside and working with animals, and being on horseback. I think anytime a culture goes in one direction, there's definitely a push to go the other way, and maybe that's it.

Speaking of nature, why is High West such an important brand for you? 

I mean, they make a really good whiskey, and not only that, but when they asked me to be an ambassador for the whiskey, they also wanted me to be an ambassador for this Protect the West initiative. It was kind of a slam dunk to be a part of something that I like and it's for a good cause and in a beautiful place. 

What is Protect the West? 

So yeah, the Protect West Initiative people who protect the land from wildfires. As areas get less and less snow every year, in the west, this project is doing what it can to project the prairies from natural disaster and from climate change. Really just protecting the land from any things that are a hazard to this beautiful place. And making sure we that we protect it for generations to come.

What's the best way to drink whiskey?

I like hitting it neat. But, I like it on the rocks, obviously. And I love a good bourbon cocktail. An old-fashioned is always nice.

Here's What to Know About High West's 2025 "Protect the West" Sweepstakes

June 20th marks the summer solstice, the longest day of the year and the perfect day to experience the beauty of the outdoors. In celebration, High West is inviting whiskey lovers and adventurers alike to enter their Protect the West sweepstakes. 

Running from June 20 through July 25, fans can enter the sweepstakes by following @DrinkHighWest on Instagram and commenting the Western location they’d most like to protect, on the collaboration post between Luke Grimes and High West. One lucky winner will receive the ultimate getaway to Park City, Utah to experience the High West lifestyle firsthand. You can get all the details and rules right here.

Y: Marshals is expected to hit CBS sometime in the Fall 2025 lineup.

Related: Why the Next 'Yellowstone' Spinoff Isn't Streaming the Way You Think