A banana hammock, a sour watermelon, and a hug all walk into a bar.
But it’s not a regular bar, it’s a tent. And it’s not just a regular tent, it’s a powerhouse. This year, the Iowa Craft Beer Tent offered 271 beverages on 122 taps from 60 Iowa breweries over 10 days. They invite select breweries to create fair-exclusive flavors, and this year Gezellig Brewing threw their hat into the ring.
Small-town Iowa, big-time stage
Gezellig has been part of the tent’s tradition since opening in Newton nearly seven years ago. Founded by Betsy Duffy and Mindy Vandenbosch, the brewery has quickly made a name for itself near central Iowa.
Master brewer, Joe Kesteloot (responsible for one of Iowa’s iconic local beers, Blonde Fatale), joined the team four years ago, bringing two decades of experience and a “wide open” approach to styles and ingredients.
“I’ll never say never to a style of beer or trying something new,” said Joe—a mindset that’s led to everything from peanut butter fluff ales to root beer float stouts.
The first idea for this year’s fair-exclusive brew was a Bloody Mary-inspired lager. But after a few test batches, the experiment was dubbed a flop. “It wasn’t doing the beer any justice, and it wasn’t doing a Bloody Mary any justice,” Joe said. “So it was time to move on.”
That’s when Betsy floated her next idea: a banana split stout.
Joe’s brewer’s brain kicked in immediately. “I was already figuring out the yeast and the grain build in my head.” This time, no trials were needed. The first batch was a home run.
How to make a banana split
The Banana Hammock beer starts with a special yeast strain known for producing rich banana aromas. Chocolate malt adds a cocoa backbone (without using actual chocolate) and vanilla smooths the finish. Hints of strawberry and cherry complete the banana split profile.
The result is a silky, dessert-like stout that had volunteers and fairgoers alike insisting that real bananas were used. Spoiler alert: it’s all in the yeast.
And while Banana Hammock made its big fair-exclusive debut, Gezellig also scored with other returning flavors. Their watermelon sour was so popular that it sold out mid-fair, prompting an emergency order and delivery run. Also on tap was Liquid Hug, a crisp pale lager that’s a year-round staple in their taproom.
Cheers to the next one
Nicknamed “the happiest place at the Iowa State Fair,” the Iowa Craft Beer Tent is a signature stop—drawing everyone from local regulars to out-of-state visitors and even some international attendees.
“It’s such a wonderful opportunity to get your beers in front of a really large audience,” said Betsy.
“It’s great when we get emails asking where people can buy our beer—which has already happened this year,” said Joe. “There’s just a lot of good talent out there. I hope people try as many beers as they can.”
Or, as Betsy puts it: “Drink beer, make friends.”
