A Wisconsin brewery known for provocative anti-Trump social media posts, including one suggesting it would give away free beer if President Donald Trump died, has had its state alcohol permit revoked by regulators.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, brewery owner and liberal activist Kirk Bangstad received a letter from Wisconsin’s Department of Revenue revoking Minocqua Brewing Co.’s permit to operate, a decision he outlined to supporters in a July 26 newsletter, FOX News reports.
In a Substack post over the weekend, Bangstad said he intends to fight the state aggressively, vowing to keep serving beer to his customers and framing the fight as one the state would have to drag him out of his taprooms to win. He also asked supporters to contribute to his legal defense fund, citing the roughly $100,000 in legal costs he says he racks up each time this kind of dispute arises before ever reaching a courtroom.
The permit revocation is set to take effect August 4, according to the Sentinel. Minocqua Brewing operates locations in both Madison and Minocqua.
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A spokesperson for the Wisconsin Department of Revenue told Fox News Digital that the state’s Division of Alcohol Beverages is committed to enforcing alcohol regulations fairly and consistently, and that it is required to ensure permit holders comply with applicable laws, taking action when they don’t.
The spokesperson confirmed the department had issued notices revoking the company’s Brewer’s permits at two locations and an Alcohol Beverage Warehouse permit at a third, adding that the business has until August 4 to appeal and may continue operating throughout that process. Should Bangstad choose to appeal, the case would go to the Department of Revenue’s secretary, who would then assign it to a hearing examiner to issue recommended findings.
According to the Sentinel, the state’s push to revoke the license followed a June incident in which authorities seized canned beer from the company, alleging it had been transported from Illinois without the required permits and taxes paid. The paper reported that Bangstad characterized the state’s response as disproportionate, arguing that alleged tax issues didn’t justify shutting down his business.
The brewery has drawn scrutiny before over its social media posts. In January, Minocqua Brewing posted on Facebook suggesting it would offer free beer all day if an unnamed “he” died, later clarifying which of its taprooms would host the promotion depending on the season. When a commenter asked whether the timeline could be accelerated, the company replied with a comment referencing acting like an intelligence operative.
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Following the April shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, an event Trump attended, the brewery posted again, referencing having nearly triggered its “free beer day” promotion and suggesting either an assassination attempt had narrowly failed or had been staged for publicity, adding that it remained ready to pour free beer whenever the moment came.
Bangstad also founded the Minocqua Brewing Company SuperPAC, which states on its website that its goal is to remove Republican officials it associates with promoting false claims about the 2020 election tied to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, as well as officials it says downplayed the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When contacted by Fox News Digital for comment, Bangstad declined to address the permit issue directly, instead making jokes referencing the deaths of Trump and former Senator Mitch McConnell, along with disparaging remarks about Fox News.
