Harpsicle Harps Named Co-Champ in Coolest Thing Made in Indiana Tournament

This is the first time in the four-year history of the tournament there have been two winners.

Harpsicle Harps Facebook photo.

INDIANAPOLIS – For the first time in the four-year history of the Coolest Thing Made IN Indiana Tournament, there are two winners.

The Indiana Chamber of Commerce announced co-champions in the annual contest after realizing there was a lack of clarity in how the finalists could market their participation in the event – which may have created an unlevel playing field. 

That means Rising Sun-based Harpsicle Harps and Nashville’s Hard Truth Whiskey Co. share the top honors.

Both had run in a nearly dead heat, in terms of votes cast, in the six rounds leading up to the championship match.

“These two companies are exemplary of the kind of great makers we have here in Indiana,” says Vanessa Green Sinders, Indiana Chamber president and CEO. “With so many great competitors – and the level of competition we had this year – there is more than enough ‘cool’ to go around to name two awesome winners.”

Hard Truth entered and won with its popular Sweet Mash Whiskey, and Harpsicle Harps’ winning entry was for its beautifully handcrafted level harp for the casual player.

William Rees began selling harps in 1972 out of a corner of his garage. At the time, he was living in California, teaching high school science, gigging with a band on weekends and starting a family. Two decades later, he and wife Pamela went all-in and formed Rees Harps, Inc. By 1999, they recognized a need to relocate outside of (expensive) California, so they moved to Rising Sun. They bought a 7,000 square foot building for manufacturing and retail. The business quickly quintupled in size and in 2003, when William introduced the namesake, the Harpsicle Harp, things really took off.