The Saddlery Building was built in 1881 by Mr. J. Rubelman of Muscatine, Iowa, who decided that Des Moines, with its two rivers and 13 railways, would be advantageous to his thriving saddlery company. He was right, and ran a successful saddle, harness, and leather works for almost 20 years.

Since that time, the building has also been home to a shoe maker, rubber company, stove manufacturer, glove company, the Krispy Kone Company and the Kaplan Hat Company (which was also the name of the restaurant once located on the first floor). After the flood of 1993, during which the building housed 19 feet of water, the ground level was left vacant until 1996 when Court Avenue Restaurant & Brewing Company started to move in its brewing equipment.

The brew pub's decor and our beer labels celebrate the history of the building and brewing in Iowa. Our beer labels are spin-offs from old defunct Iowa breweries that died out during prohibition. Almost all of our pictures, posters, signs, and bottles are antiques from bygone Iowa breweries.

Court Avenue Restaurant & Brewing Company is dedicated to brewing beers of premium quality and character. All of our beers are handcrafted by our brewers utilizing the traditional methods of our early American ancestors. We use only the finest natural ingredients: malted barley, hops, yeast, and pure water. Brewing on site enables us to brew according to demand; assuring our customers the freshest beer possible. There is no substitute for a truly fresh beer!