In 1764, two rogue Frenchmen, established a trading post on Spanish soil. This land was one of the richest cave regions in the central part of the continent. As the trading post changed ownership several times and grew into a city, a new use was found for the caves, brewing.

In the 1840s, a massive wave of German immigration, flowed over St. Louis. The Germans arrived with their thirst for beer. They did not want the ale that was common in St. Louis at the time. They wanted their traditional lager.

In order for the yeast in lager to work their magic, the beer must be stored cold for an extended period of time. The only cold that was available at the time, was underground in the caves of St. Louis. The temperate of St. Louis Caves average is 14° C / 58° F.

The most historically well documented brewery cave was Lemp’s brewery cave. For more information on this cave, check out the journal dedicated to this cave.

These caves in combination with several ambitious Germans, allowed brewing empires like Anheuser Busch, and Lemp to rise to global prominence.

If a cave in the City of St. Louis had the potential to store beer, it was utilized by one of the dozens of breweries that dotted the city.

In the 1870s, brewing transformed from an art to an industrial science with the introduction of artificial refrigeration. With this advancement in technology, brewing moved above ground.

After the abandonment of cave beer brewing, many caves in the City of St. Louis were used for mushroom farming. One cave, Cherokee Cave was transformed into a tourist cave until its destruction during the construction of Interstate 55.

Over time, many of these caves were closed and forgotten, but a renewed effort by members of the Meramec Valley Grotto have resulted in many new discoveries.

If you have any questions, or better yet a lead, please contact us.