Craft beer and soda startup to lease space at DMACC Newton campus

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The Newton campus of Des Moines Area Community College will soon be home to a craft-beer and craft-soda startup company. The Gezellig Brewing Co. will lease space at Legacy Plaza on the campus in the former Maytag headquarters that once served as a brewing production facility. Owners Betsy Duffy and Mindi VandenBosch, both of Pella, said that once production begins, they plan a family-friendly tasting room where patrons can sample their craft beers and craft sodas. Installation of the brewing equipment is expected to begin the week of Sept. 10, and they hope to begin brewing shortly after that. Joe Pugel, chair of the DMACC board of directors, said DMACC has already had discussions with the owners about offering brewing courses and possibly even apprenticeship opportunities together in the future. “Gezellig” is a Dutch word that has no direct translation in English; however, it is an adjective that means “cozy, nice, inviting and comfortable.” Duffy said their tagline is “like a liquid hug.”