And yet, the site was filled with University of Otago students at the weekend.
''There is no beer,'' Southern Archaeology's Dr Peter Petchey said.
''But there were lots of breweries through Otago.
''There was one in Queenstown and where it stood there's now a hotel. You would never know it existed. There are a number like that.''
Dr Petchey accompanied 15 students from The University of Otago Anthropology Society on a weekend trip to Hart's Black Horse Brewery, near Lawrence.
''This is quite a rare survivor of the country big breweries. It's quite ruinous, but it's something to see,'' he said.
Society members, who ranged from first year students to a PhD student, were practising or acquiring field recording techniques, making a map so there was a record that otherwise would not exist.
The students were there ''for the love of archaeology'', masters student Fran Allen said.
The area is popular with visitors who come to enjoy more than 10ha of daffodils and nature walks around the ruins.
Ms Allen said Wetherstons once boasted more than 1500 people, drawn by the discovery of gold.
''This is part of what was built out of that. This was a pretty big brewery and this is all that remains of it today,'' she said.
''You could pose so much research in this area, but before you start researching you have to record what's actually there.''
