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In 1848, ten years before Minnesota would become a state, Anthony Yoerg was brewing beer and cold-fermenting it in caves along the Mississippi River near what would eventually become St. Paul. Today, more than 165 years later, Yoerg Beer is coming back.

The people behind the comeback are Thomas Keim and Carole Minogue. When Keim was 10 years old he found a case of Yoerg returnable bottles in the basement of his father’s liquor store, and thus began a now 50-year love affair with the brand.

“I just fell in love with the brand and the story and have had this fascination with bringing the beer back,” Keim said.

Yoerg Beer will be brewed for packaged distribution at the recently opened Octopi Brewing, a contract brewing facility in Waunakee, Wisconsin. Keim is also looking at locations in downtown St. Paul and Westside St. Paul (the home of the original Yoerg Brewery) for a nanobrewery where they’ll produce the beers for onsite consumption in a “rustic, pre-Prohibition themed tasting room.”

Yoerg’s lineup will include:

Yoerg’s Beer – Their flagship lager produced in the classic Bavarian “dampf” (steam) or California common style, releasing in late June 2016 in six-packs of 12 oz. bottles and half barrels.

Yoerg’s Bock Beer — A traditional bock, releasing in late fall 2016 in four-packs of 12 oz. bottles and half barrels.

Yoerg’s Picnic Beer – Their summer seasonal, a pilsner, due out in summer 2017 in six-packs of 12 oz. bottles and half barrels.

Yoerg’s Strong Beer — Their winter seasonal, a doppelbock, due out in winter 2017 in four-packs of 12 oz. bottles and half barrels.

Stay tuned to The Growler for more information in the coming months as Yoerg’s Beer gets closer to being released.