(Radio Iowa) – Historic beer caves that were discovered in 2023 beneath an old brewery in the northeast Iowa town of Cascade are now open to the public as an event space. Zach Nothdorf tells K-C-R-G T-V that he joined with the building’s owner to turn the unusual caverns into a cozy venue for parties and private events.
“Sharing this with the community is going to be really cool,” Nothdorf says, “It’s just all going to be really fun and being able to share it with a great town like Cascade is going to be great.” In the 19th century, beer caves were used to keep beer cold as it brewed. Building owner Brian Bock says when the caves were uncovered, he knew he wanted to turn them into something people could enjoy.
“This was kind of our catch-all during the building process. And now, looking at today, how it’s transformed, it’s just been amazing,” Bock says. “I’ve just been so fortunate to find somebody who had a vision that I was kind of hoping for and to see it come to fruition.” The developers saw a need for a gathering space in the town along the Dubuque-Jones county line. From community events to bridal showers, “The Cave” will keep a piece of history alive.
Bock says, “They’re just going to be filled with the history and what it would have been like to be in a building 150 years ago, to walk down into a space like this that you just really, you’re not going to see it anywhere else in the state of Iowa.” Nothdorf said they are still renovating parts of the cave and they plan to eventually open it for tours.
