Der Bierkeller (The beer cellar) Traditional Geocache
Der Bierkeller (The beer cellar)
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Dubuque has a long history of breweries dating from 1845 to 1983 with an absence only during the 14 years of prohibition. Many breweries were established and supported by the German immigrants settling the Dubuque area in the mid 1800’s. By 1869, Dubuque was home to 9 separate breweries. This cache pays tribute to Dubuque’s long beer brewing history.
This isn’t your typical road-ditch geocache. This cache is located near an old stone arch beer cellar constructed into a hillside. Beer cellars were once common as storage for a brewery’s product while it aged and until it was ready for transport to their customers. These cellars used the ground as natural insulation and often were packed with ice cut from the river in the winter which kept the beer cool throughout the following summer.
Beer was such an integral part of daily life that in 1859, only 7,443 of the 22,000 barrels produced by Dubuque’s 5 breweries were exported out of the city. This meant that each Dubuquer consumed an average of 1.2 barrels per year which included children and nuns in the count.
The planning of the nearby road was specifically routed to preserve this historic landmark. Throughout the summer months, the cellar is almost complete hidden from view by brush and foliage. It is surprising how many people drive just feet from this relatively large structure everyday without realizing that it is even there.
Important: The cache container is NOT located in the cellar itself which will usually require waders to fully explore. It also is NOT hidden among any of the stones making up the walls and ceiling of the cellar so please DO NOT disturb this historical structure. Note that there is a barbed wire fence and old fencing materials in the area so you may want to take caution to avoid contact with these during your search.
The cache: This cache contains a logbook, pencil, and several nice starting trade items. Please sign the log, trade fairly, and return the container to its original location and state of concealment for others’ enjoyment.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)