PHOTOS: Beer, Wine Tasting at the Northfield Historical Society

Editor's note: Be sure to stick with Patch and bookmark our  as we bring you coverage all weekend.

The helped kick off this year’s Defeat of Jesse James Days on Thursday with its beer and wine tasting.

The event featured two craft beers brewed in Minnesota by Bank Brewing Company as a tribute to Northfield history: 1876, created for last year’s DJJD, and this year’s new Devil’s Gulch ale.

“Devil’s Gulch” refers to a small canyon in Garretson, S.D., that the outlaw Jesse James allegedly jumped on horseback while fleeing the posse that pursued him after the James-Younger Gang failed to rob Northfield’s First National Bank in 1876. Devil’s Gulch, available only in Northfield, will be a limited production run of only 200 750ml bottles.

“Bank Brewing did a great job with 1876 last year, so this new and more powerful beer should be that much better," said Hayes Scriven, NHS executive director. 

“We wanted to take 1876 up a notch,” said Jason Markkula of Bank Brewing about Devil’s Gulch—a strong American rye ale that is aged five months in whisky barrels for 9 percent alcohol by volume.

In addition, the 1876 bottles (introduced last year as James-Younger 1876 Rye Ale) have been refreshed with a new logo.

“We wanted the brew to appeal to a wider audience and we wanted it to play off the outlaw theme a bit more," said Markkula.

In addition to the tasting, 1876 and Devil’s Gulch is now available for purchase at the ,  in Dundas and in Northfield drinking establishments. Three other Bank Beer products were also available at the NHS tasting: Rooster Lager, Walleye Chop and Longbeard.

After the Defeat of Jesse James Days, 1876 will be available through all of Bank Beer’s normal distribution channels. Funds generated by the sale of 1876 and Devil’s Gulch go to support the mission of the Northfield Historical Society.

Follow Northfield Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our free newsletter