Wisconsin‘s Minocqua Brewing Company, whose owner promised free beer on the day of President Donald Trump’s death, lost its alcohol permit following a raid last month that seized products allegedly transported from Illinois without the necessary permits and taxes.
Kirk Bangstad owns the brewery and is a progressive activist who has branded his company to align with his political values. The Wisconsin Department of Revenue said the company will have its alcohol permit revoked by Tuesday, according to a Substack post by Bangstad.
The FBI previously questioned Bangstad as a result of the free beer promise on the day Trump dies. Bangstad made a post following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, which the president attended. The brewer claimed the shooter “needs to work on their marksmanship” and said he is “ready to pour free beer the day it happens,” referring to Trump dying.
Bangstad lambasted the state’s decision, sharing the notice from the revenue department dated July 15. He said he plans to fight the revocation and asked readers to donate to his legal defense.
“As you can imagine, I’m not taking this lying down,” he said. “We’re going to fight the state of Wisconsin tooth and nail, and once again, they’ll have to pry me out of my taprooms before I stop selling beer to thirsty progressives who come to visit us.”
Bangstad claims he has run into legal issues due to his political views in the past, as his Substack post includes a table of the claims made against his brewery by the Department of Revenue’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages.
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“Our brewery is very popular among progressives throughout the Upper Midwest because we actively fight against right-wing authoritarianism and corruption,” he said. “As a result of our political activism, we’ve been boycotted by beer distributors and major grocery chains.”
Bangstad argued the state’s decision to bar his brewery from operation is “anti-American and anti-Wisconsin.” He also noted previous issues he has run into with the state’s Democratic Party over his comments about Trump-death free beer, adding that the party is trying to curb socialist gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong from winning her primary.