Indiana fans know the long road from the losing years — and this season under Curt Cignetti finally feels like the turn. Just down the road from Bloomington, Indiana bourbon is built on that same belief and patience.

Tonight’s IU vs Miami matchup isn’t just another game on the schedule — it’s one of those moments where momentum, belief, and preparation all collide, and that’s exactly why we’re pouring something Indiana-made as we talk it through.

The Bourbon Pregame Show

So watch our “Bourbon Pregame Show” in the video above or on this link with Indiana native Bryan Smith of Hard Truth Distilling Co. and Bourbon expert Tom Fischer.

They put the game in perspective, breaking down why this game matters and why Indiana fans are feeling something different right now.

The Hard Truth Background

Hard Truth didn’t become one of Indiana’s most talked-about distilleries by chasing shortcuts.

They have been building this for a while. And BourbonBlog.com has been following the story.

They started distilling in 2015 in the upper rooms of a pizza restaurant in Nashville, Indiana, then grew into an 18,000-square-foot distillery with Vendome equipment.  Their first grain-to-glass whiskey release was Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye in 2021, and now the lineup includes their Sweet Mash Bourbon releases, including Hard Truth Sweet Mash Bourbon.

It’s also not just bottles. Hard Truth is a full destination campus on 325 acres with a 250-seat restaurant and an outdoor terrace stage that hosts live music and events, so it feels like a place Indiana fans actually go, not just a label they see on a shelf. That long-build approach is why Bryan Smith’s perspective lands. They’ve taken the time to do it right, then let the product do the talking.

 Where Bourbon and IU Football Meet

Indiana has always had a bourbon culture — and there are a lot of Indiana distilleries we love and support. This isn’t about crowning one or ignoring the rest.

It’s about tipping the hat to a shared mindset that runs through the state: patience, pride in the work, and letting results speak louder than hype.

That mindset feels familiar if you’ve been watching Indiana football. This season hasn’t been loud or flashy — it’s been about execution, resilience, and earning respect one snap at a time.

The connection between Indiana bourbon and Indiana football isn’t branding or coincidence; it’s philosophy. Build patiently. Trust the process. Be ready when the moment arrives.

And that’s where the Hoosiers movie conversation comes in.

The original film was released in 1986 and starred Gene Hackman, Dennis Hopper, and Barbara Hershey.  It earned two Academy Award nominations, including Dennis Hopper for Best Supporting Actor and Jerry Goldsmith for Original Score, and Hopper also received a Golden Globe nomination. The film is also recognized on AFI’s Top 10 sports films list.

The Associated Press and the New York Post have both leaned into the idea that IU football’s run has that storybook, Hollywood-script feel, tying it back to Angelo Pizzo, the writer behind Hoosiers and Rudy.

But here’s the key detail: in the AP piece, Pizzo specifically says he has no plans to make a Hoosiers 2, and he suggests the full IU football story would need to sit for a long time before it’s ready for a film.

If an IU football version of Hoosiers got made today, who plays Curt Cignetti in the Gene Hackman coach role?

Tell us your suggestionstions below in the comments.