Three Indiana Craft Beverage Producers Enter 4th Round of “Coolest Thing Made In Indiana” Contest

18 Nov Three Indiana Craft Beverage Producers Enter 4th Round of “Coolest Thing Made In Indiana” Contest

by Mark E. Lasbury for Indiana On Tap

The Indiana Chamber of Commerce holds a “Coolest Thing Made in Indiana Contest” each year just before the holidays. This year’s contest is the fourth annual, and I have learned about some very interesting Indiana companies and products from the previous tournaments, and this year’s edition has been no different. The Hiker Trailers from Columbus was a great find, as was Harpsicle Harps from Rising Sun.

The contest is run as a head-to-head tournament bracket, with the voting for each round being only four days or so, from 9am to 9pm EST. You can vote now at the Chamber’s contest web page. The first round had 64 different products/companies, and now we’re down to the final sixteen in round four. The winner of head matchup is produced by online votes from the public. You can vote once during each round, and the winner goes on to the next round. The final four products are celebrated in an announcement and the champion is publicly declared on Dec. 11 this year.

image credit: Indiana Chamber of Commerce

Three Indiana craft beverage producers are represented in this year’s field (Goshen Brewing, Hard Truth Distilling, and Bear Wallow Distillery), and all of them have made it to the 4th round (voting 11/18-11/21). While the name of the contest contains “Thing” in the title, the contest is really about the entire company, not just the single product. Our Indiana craft beverage contenders this year are:

Bear Wallow Distillery in Gnawbone, and in particular, their Hoosier Hooch Sugar Cream Pie Moonshine, is the featured product in the contest. This is one of their flavored spirits (40 proof), that are made from 100% corn whiskey, unlike most that are made with neutral malt base. Bear Wallow is one of very few artisan distilleries in American that is 100% woman-owned, and it is completely family-run. Owner Susan Spagnuolo was integral in getting the law changed in Indiana in 2013 to allow for artisan distilleries, and, as such, can be considered the mother of all Indiana artisan spirits. Despite the focus on their moonshine for the Coolest Thing contest, you shouldn’t ignore their five different small batch whiskies, all made with 100% Indiana grains and which are official Indiana Artisan products.

image credit: Goshen Brewing

Goshen Brewing at 315 W. Washington St. in Goshen, and in general, their entire brewpub is a contestant. Jesse and Amanda Sensenig opened the brewpub in 2015, with a solid lineup of beers and some great food (oh, that Sunday brunch!). They have a pretty space, with a good look at the brewhouse downstairs through the floor to ceiling glass, and the tables are communal, designed to create new friends. Housed in the refurbished NIPSCO Energy building, Goshen Brewing added solar panels to help reduce their energy draw (at their own expense), on their way to their goal of being a zero net brewery. This is laudable for sure, but pales in comparison to their fun atmosphere, great beer, and entertainment via live music every week.

Hard Truth Distilling at Hard Truth Hills in Nashville, and in particular, their sweet mash whiskies. There are more than a dozen different products in their sweet mash whiskey line, including bourbons, rye whiskies, and several limited edition versions with different barrel finishes. The sweet mash name comes from the fact that each batch uses entirely fresh ingredients, no “soured” mash is reused from a previous fermentation batch. It’s more difficult to make than sour mash whiskies, but it also allows for more control of the grain flavors in the final product. If you haven’t visited their 350 acre destination distillery (with four wheeler tours to find the hidden still, the restaurant, the music venue, the visitor/education center, the cabins, etc.), do yourself a favor and get there soon.

Make sure to vote before the 21st, and then return to vote in the remaining rounds as well. Not to disrespect the other Indiana products in the contest, I really think that Indiana craft beverages are some of the things we do best in this state, and deserve to be honored.