Wisconsin Brewery Owner Loses Alcohol Permit After Offering ‘Free Beer’ If President Trump Dies

A Wisconsin brewery owner known for mixing politics with beer is facing a new legal battle that could shut down his business.

Minocqua Brewing Co. owner Kirk Bangstad says he is prepared to fight “tooth and nail” after Wisconsin’s Department of Revenue moved to revoke his company’s permit to operate in the state, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which reported the story Tuesday, July 28.

Bangstad, a liberal activist known for his politically themed beer lineup, told supporters in a July 26 newsletter that the state had notified him of the revocation, effective on August 4. He posted a screenshot of the letter and called the move an “absurd act of heavy-handedness,” per the outlet.

“They’ll have to pry me out of my taprooms before I stop selling beer to thirsty progressives who come to visit us,” Bangstad wrote in the newsletter, per the outlet.

In April, Bangstad was interviewed by the FBI and Secret Service after a Facebook post referencing the idea of giving away free beer when President Donald Trump dies drew widespread condemnation, according to the report. The post came after a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ dinner.

In June state officials seized all of Minocqua Brewing’s canned beer, alleging it had been transported illegally from Illinois without the proper permits or taxes paid, according to the report.

The Department of Revenue confirmed on Monday, July 27 that it issued permit revocation notices for two Minocqua Brewing locations, plus a separate Alcohol Beverage Warehouse permit revocation. A department spokesperson said the brewery has until August 4 to appeal and may continue operating in the meantime, per the outlet.

“The division is required to follow and implement state law, including ensuring permit holders and licensees follow all applicable laws and regulations. The division takes appropriate actions when these laws are not followed,” the spokesperson said, according to the article.

Bangstad has spent nearly a decade in the public eye for his activism and clashes with local officials, selling beers named Bernie Brew, Tammy Shandy and AOC IPA, per the report. He failed to qualify for Wisconsin’s governor’s race earlier this year after falling short on valid ballot signatures, then filed to close his super PAC weeks later.