I love the story behind Yoerg’s beer, which was originally brewed in St. Paul starting in 1848 by Anthony Yoerg, a Bavarian immigrant.

At a time when English-style beers were in fashion, this hearty lager was fermented in caves along the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul. The brewery shut down in 1953 when competition started cutting corners and it refused to compromise its quality.

Now, in a world of craft beer, Yoerg is back, and about to open a new taproom on the West Side of St. Paul next door to the Wabasha Street Brewing Co. The beer already is being brewed, currently in Wisconsin, and it’s available in a fairly wide variety of local liquor stores and on tap at a few restaurants.

I tried it at World of Beer in Lowertown and was pleasantly surprised with how well it holds up to today’s craft beers. Golden amber in color, it has a toasty nose and a crisp, slightly hoppy finish. The alcohol content is low enough to make it a good beer for day drinking, too.

For more information on Yoerg, including the fascinating history of the beer, go to yoergbeer.com.

International Bittering Units (IBU): NA; Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 4.9 percent