Iowa Craft Beer Tent
Iowa Craft Beer Tent is a Des Moines-based craft beer event operator that runs tap tents at premier Iowa events (Iowa State Fair, RAGBRAI, Old Threshers, North Liberty Blues & BBQ) and sells an annual 24-beer Iowa Craft Beer Advent Box sourced from 42 participating state breweries, serving adult craft beer consumers across Iowa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersDes Moines, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Iowa Craft Beer Tent does
Iowa Craft Beer Tent is a privately-held, Des Moines, Iowa-based craft beer event operator with 9 employees. The company runs craft beer tents and traveling beer gardens at the state's largest events: the Iowa State Fair (11-day run with up to 48 taps), RAGBRAI (7-day cross-state cycling tour with two daily stops), the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion in Mt. Pleasant, and the North Liberty Blues & BBQ festival. Operations are volunteer-staffed via VolunteerLocal and rely on partnerships with Iowa breweries for supply.
The company's product surface extends beyond events into a direct-to-consumer offering: an annual pre-order Iowa Craft Beer Advent Box at $129.99, containing 24 randomly selected beers and ciders from 42 participating Iowa breweries, with 6 statewide pickup locations. It also operates a pop-up merchandise store at the Iowa State Fair and a year-round online Square storefront selling branded apparel. A Stockist-powered Iowa Brewery Finder locator rounds out the digital surface.
The revenue model is built on transaction-fee event beer sales (per-drink service at events), one-time Advent Box pre-orders each fall starting October 15, and merchandise sales both online and at the Iowa State Fair pop-up. Customer mix is entirely consumer (event attendees, Advent Box buyers, merchandise buyers), with the supply side anchored by 42+ Iowa craft breweries and Backpocket Brewing as an anchor partner. No external funding, parent company, or institutional investors are indicated; the company appears founder-led and operationally bootstrapped.
Iowa Craft Beer Tent firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Iowa Craft Beer Tent
- Legal name
- Iowa Craft Beer Tent
- Website
- https://iowacraftbeertent.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Iowa Craft Beer Tent is a Des Moines-based craft beer event operator that runs tap tents at premier Iowa events (Iowa State Fair, RAGBRAI, Old Threshers, North Liberty Blues & BBQ) and sells an annual 24-beer Iowa Craft Beer Advent Box sourced from 42 participating state breweries, serving adult craft beer consumers across Iowa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Iowa Craft Beer Tent industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Beer Event Services
- NAICS
- Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (713990)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Spirits/Cocktail Bars Operated by Producers (THAFALAJ), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE), Food, Drink & Culinary Community Festivals (Community-Led) (MPAGAEAF)
Keywords
Where Iowa Craft Beer Tent is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Des Moines
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Iowa Craft Beer Tent business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Event Beer Sales: Serving Iowa craft beer at major events with multiple tap trailers featuring 12-48 taps. Revenue from direct beer sales to event attendees.
- Advent Box Pre-orders: Annual pre-order campaign for holiday Advent Box containing 24 Iowa craft beers/ciders priced at $129.99. Sales begin October 15th with 42 breweries participating.
- Merchandise Sales: Pop-up and online merchandise store selling branded apparel and merchandise featuring Iowa Craft Beer Tent logo at events and via Square online store.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Iowa Craft Beer Advent Box - 24 random Iowa craft beers and ciders from 42 participating breweries |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
Iowa Craft Beer Tent product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Iowa Craft Beer Tent operates craft beer service tents and gardens at major Iowa events, including the 11-day Iowa State Fair, the 7-day RAGBRAI bike ride, Midwest Old Threshers Reunion, and the North Liberty Blues & BBQ festival, featuring 12 to 48 taps of Iowa-brewed craft beer and cider. Additionally, the company curates and sells an annual Iowa Craft Beer Advent Box (24 randomly selected beers/ciders from 42 participating breweries) via its Square online store, and sells branded merchandise at a State Fair pop-up and online year-round.
Product overview
Iowa Craft Beer Tent operates a portfolio of craft beer service offerings at major Iowa events, including a beer tent at the Iowa State Fair, traveling beer gardens during RAGBRAI, service at the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion, and the North Liberty Blues & BBQ festival. The company also sells an annual Iowa Craft Beer Advent Box featuring 24 curated beers from Iowa breweries, operates an online merchandise store, and provides a brewery finder locator tool. The core offering is event-based craft beer service with taps ranging from 12 to 48 depending on venue.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Iowa Craft Beer Advent Box Curated pre-order box containing 24 randomly selected Iowa craft beers and ciders featuring core, seasonal, and one-off brews from 42 participating breweries; priced at $129.99 with a $5 delivery charge at non-Des Moines pickup locations. Targets Iowa craft beer enthusiasts seeking holiday gifting and brewery discovery.
- Iowa State Fair Beer Tent Premium-location craft beer tent at the Iowa State Fair (August 13-23) featuring over 48 taps of Iowa-brewed beer, cider, seltzer, wine slushies, and mass domestic options, operating daily 9am-11:30pm across the 11-day event. Serves State Fair attendees.
- RAGBRAI Beer Garden Traveling craft beer garden operating two all-Iowa Craft Beer Garden stops daily during RAGBRAI's week-long cross-state bicycle ride, featuring 12-20 tap trailers at shade-based locations provided by 135+ local Iowa landowner hosts. Partners with Backpocket Brewing and serves RAGBRAI riders.
- Midwest Old Threshers Beer Tent Craft beer tent under the grandstand at the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion featuring over ten Iowa craft beers, Iowa cider, and mass domestic options; serves Thursday-Sunday during the 4-day antique engine and tractor show, with tips donated to the host organization.
- North Liberty Blues & BBQ Beer Service Craft beer service at the annual free-admission North Liberty Blues & BBQ festival, a community event coordinated by the North Liberty Community Betterment Group featuring live blues music and barbecue.
- Pop-up Merchandise Store Pop-up retail store at the Iowa State Fair (9am-11:30pm daily) selling branded apparel and accessories featuring the Iowa Craft Beer Tent logo, with online availability year-round via the Square online store for souvenir and event merchandise buyers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 42+ Iowa breweries showcased through Advent Box program
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Iowa Craft Beer Tent
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Iowa Craft Beer Tent technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Iowa Craft Beer Tent partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Backpocket BrewingcoreBackpocket Brewing partners with Iowa Craft Beer Tent annually for RAGBRAI, introducing riders to Iowa-brewed beer. They co-host the all Iowa Craft Beer Garden stops and provide gift certificates as volunteer incentives. This is a multi-year partnership central to the RAGBRAI event operations.
- Iowa Craft Beer/Cider Breweries (42 participating)core42 Iowa craft breweries participate in the annual Advent Box program, providing core, seasonal, and one-off beers for the 24-item curated box. 6 of these breweries also serve as pickup locations across the state for Advent Box customers.
- Midwest Old Threshers ReunionminorIowa Craft Beer Tent operates its beer tent at the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion, a long-running antique engine and tractor event. All tips from beer sales go to support the organization. This is their seventh year at the event.
- North Liberty Community Betterment GroupminorNorth Liberty Community Betterment Group (501(c)(3) nonprofit) coordinates the Blues & BBQ festival. Iowa Craft Beer Tent provides craft beer service as part of the event. The festival is in its 17th year.
- Jasper WineryminorProvides wine for slushy machine at Iowa State Fair, creating sangria and other wine-based frozen beverages served alongside craft beer and cider.
- Iowa State FaircoreIowa Craft Beer Tent operates its largest presence at the Iowa State Fair (August 13-23) as an exclusive craft beer vendor on the fairgrounds with prime location near the grandstand.
- Iowa Landowners (135+ homes)coreLocal Iowa landowners provide yard locations along the RAGBRAI route for beer garden stops. Over 135 previous hosts can vouch for the positive experience. Primary factors sought: shade, right-side yards preferred, maintained properties, low traffic count preferred.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Iowa Craft Beer Tent competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Drizly: Alcohol e-commerce and delivery platform owned by Uber. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but a logical channel or partner for distributing the Advent Box or other curated beer assortments directly to consumers.
- PourMyBeer: Self-pour draft beer technology provider used in taprooms and beer gardens. Reflects the underlying operational infrastructure that event-based beer operators increasingly rely on, and a potential tooling partner for Iowa Craft Beer Tent's tent operations.
Direct peers
- Tavour: App-based craft beer curation and discovery platform that ships curated selections from independent breweries to consumers. Operates the same core model as Iowa Craft Beer Tent's Advent Box — aggregating small brewery supply into a curated consumer product — but at much larger national scale.
- The Bruery: California craft brewery famous for its annual 'Advent Calendar' of rare, allocated beers. Operates a similarly themed annual beer Advent product targeting enthusiasts, and runs on-site tasting experiences, making it a direct analog of Iowa Craft Beer Tent's Advent Box and event activation model.
Broad incumbents
- Untappd: The most widely used craft beer check-in and discovery app, with a brewery locator and event listing features that overlap with Iowa Craft Beer Tent's Brewery Finder. Operates at vastly larger scale but addresses the same craft beer discovery and brewery-visit use case.
- BeerAdvocate: Long-standing craft beer community and ratings platform with an event calendar that surfaces beer festivals and tastings. Shares Iowa Craft Beer Tent's audience of craft beer enthusiasts and provides a comparison point for monetizing a beer-enthusiast community.
- Brewers Association (CraftBeer.com): The U.S. trade body for craft brewers, which promotes independent breweries and aggregates events. Provides a top-of-funnel comparison for Iowa Craft Beer Tent's role as a curator and tastemaker for Iowa's brewery ecosystem.
Emerging players
- Hop Culture: Craft beer media and event company that runs curated beer festivals, brewery collaborations, and member experiences. Closely comparable as a smaller-scale craft beer event and curation operator targeting enthusiast consumers.
Regional players
- Forgotten Boardwalk Brewing: Regional craft brewery that runs its own on-site events, beer gardens, and seasonal activations. Represents the type of brewery that could disintermediate Iowa Craft Beer Tent by running its own event distribution.
- Craft Beer Cellar: Multi-state craft beer retail chain focused on curated selections and brewery discovery. Operates a similar 'curated craft beer to consumer' model, though through brick-and-mortar retail rather than events and boxes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Iowa Craft Beer Tent social profiles
Digital presenceIowa Craft Beer Tent financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Iowa Craft Beer Tent leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Iowa Craft Beer Tent funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Iowa Craft Beer Tent M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Iowa Craft Beer Tent
What does Iowa Craft Beer Tent do?
Iowa Craft Beer Tent operates craft beer service tents and gardens at major Iowa events, including the 11-day Iowa State Fair, the 7-day RAGBRAI bike ride, Midwest Old Threshers Reunion, and the North Liberty Blues & BBQ festival, featuring 12 to 48 taps of Iowa-brewed craft beer and cider. Additionally, the company curates and sells an annual Iowa Craft Beer Advent Box (24 randomly selected beers/ciders from 42 participating breweries) via its Square online store, and sells branded merchandise at a State Fair pop-up and online year-round.
Is Iowa Craft Beer Tent a public or private company?
Iowa Craft Beer Tent is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Iowa Craft Beer Tent founded?
Iowa Craft Beer Tent was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Iowa Craft Beer Tent based?
Iowa Craft Beer Tent is headquartered in Des Moines, United States, in the North America region.
How does Iowa Craft Beer Tent make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Event Beer Sales are the primary driver. The others are advent Box Pre-orders and merchandise Sales.
Who are Iowa Craft Beer Tent's main competitors?
Others on record are Drizly and PourMyBeer. Direct peers are Tavour and The Bruery. Broad incumbents are Untappd, BeerAdvocate and Brewers Association (CraftBeer.com). Hop Culture is listed as an emerging player. Regional players are Forgotten Boardwalk Brewing and Craft Beer Cellar.
Does Iowa Craft Beer Tent have an API?
No public API is recorded for Iowa Craft Beer Tent.
What industry is Iowa Craft Beer Tent in?
Iowa Craft Beer Tent's product category is Craft Beer Event Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFALAA, Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service), with a secondary code of THAFAEAG, Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms. Its NAICS code is 7224 and its SIC code is 7900.