In response to the success of last year’s James-Younger Rye Ale brew, we are proud to announce this week that we will bring back the James-Younger Rye Ale first introduced during the Defeat of Jesse James Days last September. The return of the James-Younger Ale will occur at the Taste of Northfield event on Thursday, June 14, on Bridge Square. It will also be available at the Northfield Municipal Liquor Store and at local drinking establishments. Designed to attract and cater to the interests of local residents, the brew serves as a tribute to Northfield’s history and is becoming a valued collector’s keepsake. The funds generated by the sale of the ale support our mission.
The idea for the James-Younger beer was borne out of the process of looking for new ways to get people excited about the history of Northfield, Minn., the site of the dramatic Jesse James/Cole Younger failed bank raid in 1876. I am extremely proud of our heritage as community-minded citizens willing to stand up for what we believe is right. The Taste of Northfield event seemed like an ideal time to bring the return of the James-Younger beer.
Later this summer, we will introduce a new beer on the local scene. Our plan is to bring back the original 1876 James-Younger Rye Ale in the next couple of months and introduce another bigger bolder micro-brew that has been barrel aged and only available in Northfield. We think we the James-Younger Rye Ale will become a collector’s item with such a limited supply being produced.
We are delighted to make the James-Younger beer a great tradition for NHS and increase awareness of our time-honored community celebration – the Defeat of Jesse James Days.
Jason Markkula said “the new beer coming this September is a bigger, bolder Rye Ale that has been aged in oak whisky barrels”. Once last year’s label is retired, this year’s ale will be designed specifically for the Defeat of Jesse James celebration. Jason Markkula of Minnesota’s Bank Beer Company said. “The handcrafted beer will be available in limited quantities during the Historical Society’s Outlaw Run in August, Defeat of Jesse James Days in the Entertainment Center, September 5-9, 2012, and will also be sold through area bars and liquor stores”.
We are dedicated to preserving, interpreting and honoring the unique history of Northfield, Minn. It actively serves the Northfield area by offering educational programs and presentations, reenactments of special historical events, museum exhibits, and a historical library and archives. The Society also sponsors a museum store where shoppers can purchase commemorative items and entertaining and interesting merchandise at reasonable prices. The Historical Society is currently in the midst of its 1,000-member campaign, trying to attract 1,000 members of the Northfield Historical Society by 2015.