Mellencamp family, Hard Truth continue partnership with new bourbon
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe family of Indiana music legend John Mellencamp is raising a glass to their newest bourbon in collaboration with Hard Truth Distilling Co. in Brown County.
“American Odd” is the final release in a four-part series that began in the summer of 2023.
“We kind of hit it off right from the beginning. There were so many things that just made sense about this collaboration,” Hard Truth master distiller Bryan Smith said in an interview with Inside INdiana Business host Gerry Dick. “It’s been a super fun couple years with these guys and to be able to support family farmers and sustainable farming in Indiana and beyond has just been a true honor.”
One hundred percent of the grains for the bourbon are grown by Indiana farmers in Rushville and Evansville. Mellencamp Whiskey says it wants to honor John’s history of supporting Indiana farmers, which includes starting Farm Aid in 1985.
“Hud and I are born and bred Indiana boys. We grew up right here on the side of Lake Monroe together,” Levi Collison, Mellencamp Whiskey co-founder, said. “We wanted to kind of try and do our own thing here, but a continuation of carrying that Mellencamp mantle – helping the farmers, keeping it all very Indiana farm centric. Working with Hard Truth [and] with their sweet mash distillation process, they really are highlighting the best of the grains that Indiana farmers have to provide.”
In December, Hard Truth’s Sweet Mash Whiskey won the Coolest Thing Made IN Indiana tournament from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.
John Mellencamp’s art is also featured on the bottle.
“My dad’s been painting for years and years and years. It’s like all he does all day is write music and paint,” Hud Mellencamp, John’s son and Mellencamp Whiskey co-founder, said. “Some of his artwork is really special … this one, American Odd, it can kind of resemble the older painting with American Gothic.”
The sweet mash bourbon releases next month.