‘It Was Crazy’: Construction Crew Unearths 19th-Century Beer Cave While Excavating Beneath Former Brewery

A beer cave dating back to the 19th century is discovered beneath an old brewery building amid renovations. (Photo: KCRG News)

In an unforeseen historical revelation, an investment firm in Cascade, Iowa, stumbled upon a beer cave dating back to the 19th century hidden beneath a former brewery.

As reported by KCRG News on Tuesday, Iowa Main Street Investments, led by Brian Bock, acquired the old brewery two years ago with the intention of transforming it into residential units.

“We were given some information—some historical information—that potentially there was a beer cave underneath this building somewhere,” Bock informed KCRG. “Nothing ever brought us any indication that there was actually a beer cave here.”

The discovery unfolded during excavation activities when construction crews encountered two arches, leading to the unearthing of the well-preserved beer cave.

“All of a sudden, we saw these two arches right here,” added Mark Weber of Weber Construction, Inc. “So they investigated by digging down even more.”

“It was crazy.”

During the excavation, construction crew members initially uncovered two distinct arches, eventually revealing the well-preserved beer cave as they continued digging. (Photo: KCRG News)

As per insights from Iowa Public Radio, Iowa City boasts an intricate network of 19th-century subterranean passages, historically employed for beer fermentation and transportation. Beer enthusiast Doug Alberhasky, who conducts guided tours of beer caves in the city, shed light on the significance of these subterranean spaces in maintaining the ideal beer temperature during brewing.

”The beer needed to be served cold and stored cold for the entire month that it was being brewed,” Alberhasky said in the report. “So, they had to have caves underground that they could put ice in to keep the beer at a happy 33 and a half degrees or so.”

Alberhasky emphasized the remarkable engineering feats of the era, which relied solely on horsepower and human labor.

”When they built them, there was no hydraulics, there were no pneumatics,” he added. “It was all done with horsepower and human power. And the fact that they were able to do all of this, to this extent is pretty amazing.”

Bock, expressing astonishment at the cave’s century-long isolation, further highlighted its unexpected preservation.

“No one has set foot in it for 100 years, and for it to be preserved as well as it has been,” he shared. “It’s a pretty unique find, and obviously one that I never would have dreamt of.”

In another recent discovery of well-preserved antiquities, a nearly pristine, unopened bottle of Gordon’s Gin dating back over 70 years was found in the walls of a historic hotel. The rare find, estimated to be worth over $600, emerged during the clearing out of the building’s cellar for renovation.

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