{"id":394861,"date":"2026-07-11T17:49:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T17:49:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/394861\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T17:49:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T17:49:17","slug":"former-brewery-for-sale-in-gold-rush-town-volcano-ca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/394861\/","title":{"rendered":"Former brewery for sale in Gold Rush town Volcano, CA"},"content":{"rendered":"

A former Gold Rush-era brewery \u2014 now a 3,138-square-foot home wrapped in 24-inch-thick stone walls \u2014 is on the market in the tiny Amador County town of Volcano for $670,000.<\/p>\n

About 60 miles east of Sacramento, the property at 21376 Consolation St.,<\/a> is known as the Volcano Bavarian Brewery. It\u2019s described in a historical account as the \u201clast of three breweries in Volcano that helped maintain the spirits of the miners of the central Mother Lode.\u201d The same document notes it is now a private residence.<\/p>\n

The home was \u201cextensively remodeled in 1994 and beyond,\u201d according to the property listing. It is pitched as a rare chance to buy a preserved slice of Gold Rush history that has been reimagined for modern living. The actual former brewery serves as a living or family room with the thick walls providing natural insulation and year-round comfort, according to the property description.<\/p>\n

Listing agent Tiffany Kraft of Vista Sotheby\u2019s International Realty said the house is more than an unusual conversion.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn real estate, we often describe properties as \u2018one of a kind,\u2019 but this is one of the rare occasions where that statement is literally true,\u201d she wrote in an email.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Bavarian Brewery represents an irreplaceable chapter of California\u2019s Gold Rush history, seamlessly blending 19th-century craftsmanship with modern comforts. It\u2019s a property that appeals not only to buyers seeking a distinctive residence, but to those who value stewardship of an important historic landmark and the opportunity to shape its next chapter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A A former Gold Rush-era brewery \u2014 now a two-bedroom, two-bathroom, 3,138-square-foot home \u2014 is on the market in the tiny Amador County town of Volcano for $670,000. John Poulson <\/p>\n

Sue Hepworth is also a listing agent for the property.<\/p>\n

The two-bedroom, two-bath home sits on a 0.29-acre lot, with multiple flexible spaces. The layout includes a dedicated office or den with additional guest accommodation and distinctive design touches, including \u201csubtle Japanese-inspired elements,\u201d according to the listing.<\/p>\n

The grounds read like a peaceful retreat: mature landscaping, seasonal blooms and a whimsical garden complemented by stone pathways and curated plantings.<\/p>\n

More detailed background on the building\u2019s evolution comes from owner and seller Meg Gottstein, who compiled information from her own property records, family records and Amador County documents.<\/p>\n

While the property reads as historic on the outside, it has been upgraded and substantially rebuilt, according to Gottstein.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only elements of the original Bavarian Brewery still in place are the 24-inch thick stone walls that form the exterior of the current living\/family room,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n

\"The The former 1856 brewery serves as a living or family room with the thick walls providing natural insulation and year-round comfort, according to the property description. John Poulson <\/p>\n

She also noted the county assessor considers the structure \u201c94% improved\u201d with an effective build date of 1994, reflecting the scale of modernization.<\/p>\n

The residence also includes features such as redwood decks, double-pane windows and doors, a whole-house generator, surge protection and a security system, Gottstein wrote. She described multiple heating and cooling options \u2014 including dual-zone HVAC \u2014 as well as two propane tankless water heaters.<\/p>\n

One notable modern addition is a large carport with power for an electric vehicle.<\/p>\n

The seller also emphasizes the property\u2019s potential flexibility beyond a typical single-family home. County records indicate the area was rezoned to C-1 in the mid-1970s, meaning a future owner could potentially operate a commercial use or combine commercial and residential purposes, Gottstein wrote, though she advises buyers to confirm the zoning classification with the county.<\/p>\n

\"The The home\u2019s layout includes additional guest accommodation and distinctive design touches, including \u201csubtle Japanese-inspired elements,\u201d according to the listing. John Poulson <\/p>\n

Volcano was described in a 1957 local history booklet as \u201cnestled in a crater-like valley in the Sierras surrounded by tall, graceful pines,\u201d a place where the town \u201cslumbers peacefully in the sun.\u201d The booklet says the town boomed to more than 5,000 people before the Civil War and later declined, with fires repeatedly reshaping the townscape. Today, the population of Volcano is estimated to be fewer than 200 people.<\/p>\n

The booklet lists the 1856 brewery among the town\u2019s surviving landmarks. It also describes Volcano as the \u201cmost picturesque of all the Mother Lode Towns.\u201d<\/p>\n

The listing leans on that same sense of place, calling the home a legacy property rooted in local history and suggesting it could work as a live-work setup, a business setting or a private retreat.<\/p>\n

For the Gottstein family, the house has also been a long-running personal project. A home tour handout recounts how San Francisco resident Ruth Gottstein<\/a> discovered the property after visiting Volcano in the 1960s and convinced her husband to buy it.<\/p>\n

\"The The Volcano Bavarian Brewery, erected in 1856 and extensively remodeled as a residence in 1994, sits in the heart of historic Volcano. John Poulson <\/p>\n

\u201cYou want it, we\u2019ll do it,\u201d he told her, according to the document.<\/p>\n

Decades later, Meg Gottstein said she is ready to pass it on. She is \u201clooking for a buyer who will appreciate and enjoy this property as much as the Gottstein family has for over six decades.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"San San Francisco resident Ruth Gottstein discovered the historic property after visiting Volcano in the 1960s and convinced her husband to buy it. John Poulson <\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

David Caraccio<\/a><\/p>\n

The Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n

David Caraccio is a video producer for The Sacramento Bee who was born and raised in Sacramento. He is a graduate of San Diego State University and a longtime journalist who has worked for newspapers as a reporter, editor, page designer and digital content producer.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A former Gold Rush-era brewery \u2014 now a 3,138-square-foot home wrapped in 24-inch-thick stone walls \u2014 is on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":394862,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8],"class_list":["post-394861","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394861","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=394861"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394861\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/394862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=394861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=394861"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=394861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}