Cardinal Spirits creates cocktails inspired by ‘So Cold the River’ film

“So Cold the River” premieres in Bloomington on Friday, September 30 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.

At 6 p.m. there will be a cocktail hour featuring the launch of So Cold the Vodka by Cardinal Spirits, and at 7 p.m. the movie will premiere, followed by Q+A with Pigasus Pictures and writer/director Paul Shoulberg.

Erica Sagon of Cardinal Spirits and Gordon Strain of Pigasus Pictures joined us Wednesday on “Life.Style.Live!” to share the purpose of their collaboration, discuss the new movie and share a taste of the cocktails inspired by the chilling film.

A joint-effort between the motion picture So Cold The River, the West Baden Springs Hotel, and Cardinal Spirits, So Cold the Vodka is a nod to Pluto Water, the famed mineral elixir that bubbled up from Southern Indiana’s hot springs in the early 20th century and was well known for its devilish little bottle. 

Pluto Water’s rumored supernatural properties, and the storied past of the West Baden Springs Hotel, serve as the backdrop for Bloomington native Michael Koryta’s novel So Cold the River, which was adapted into a chilling horror film in 2022. 

Cardinal Spirits craft distillery is situated in the same Springs Valley where Pluto Water was once bottled at source. So if the river runs deep under the whole town, this frosty blue vodka—with subtle, haunting notes of fruit and an exceptionally smooth texture—may have you hearing a swell of violins after just one sip. 

“So Cold the River” is the highest-scale movie made in Indiana since Rudy (1993). Just released in March, the film came on the heels of Indiana’s new law adding tax incentives for film and TV productions that have been years in the making. 

To purchase tickets, click here.