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A Wisconsin brewery known for promising free beer the day President Trump dies is about to lose its right to sell alcohol at all. State officials confirmed on July 29 that Minocqua Brewing Company’s permit will be revoked on August 4. Owner Kirk Bangstad, a progressive activist who runs a liberal super PAC, insists the timing has nothing to do with beer violations and everything to do with who he keeps attacking online.
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Bangstad Calls the State’s Case Against Him “Laughable”
According to Fox News, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue issued notice that it will revoke Minocqua Brewing’s brewer’s permit for two locations, plus a warehouse permit for a third. Bangstad received the letter, dated July 15, and wasted no time firing back. He wrote that Wisconsin “practically invented the term ‘craft beer,'” yet the state was trying to shut down its most progressive brewery over violations he dismissed as impossible to take seriously.
A June Raid Set the Revocation in Motion
The permit fight traces back to a raid last month, when state agents seized beer from the company over claims it had been shipped across state lines from Illinois without the required permits. Bangstad had turned to an Illinois brewing partner after Wisconsin blocked Minocqua from shipping directly to out-of-state customers. He says the total dispute amounts to less than $500 in unpaid taxes, a number he argues doesn’t match the punishment.
Bangstad Vows to Fight “Tooth and Nail”
Bangstad has no plans to go quietly. “We’re going to fight the state of Wisconsin tooth and nail,” he wrote, adding that officials would “have to pry me out of my taprooms before I stop selling beer to thirsty progressives who come to visit us.” He has set up a legal defense fund and can keep operating while he appeals, but the clock on that appeal window started the moment the letter landed.
The Brewery Built Its Brand on Anti-Trump Merchandise
Minocqua Brewing sells shirts reading “I Wish It Was Free Beer Day At Minocqua Brewing Company,” alongside others stamped with “Vive La Resistance” and “Impeach, Convict, Remove.” The political branding took off after a Wisconsin county board threatened fines over an oversized Biden sign outside the brewery. Bangstad says the backlash pushed $100,000 in merchandise sales within a single week, and the company never stopped selling from there.
A January Facebook Post Started the Countdown
The “free beer” pledge first surfaced in January, when the brewery posted that it would give away drinks “all day long, the day he dies,” an apparent reference to Trump without naming him directly. The post challenged followers to “show us this post when it happens in a few months, and we’ll make good on that promise.” It read as a joke to supporters. Federal investigators would treat it very differently just months later.
FBI Agents Interviewed Bangstad After a Shooting Threat
In April, an armed man allegedly tried to breach a ballroom where Trump was attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Minocqua Brewing’s response on Facebook read, “Well, we almost got #freebeerday,” and speculated the shooter either lacked skill or staged the incident for headlines. Per the Washington Times, the FBI and Secret Service confirmed they conducted a voluntary interview with Bangstad afterward.
Bangstad Posted an Agent’s Alleged Phone Number Online
The FBI interview didn’t quiet Bangstad down. After speaking with agents, he shared what he claimed was one investigator’s personal cell phone number on social media and encouraged his followers to call it. His legal team maintained he never intended harm toward Trump or Vice President JD Vance, nor held any ties to groups that promote violence. State regulators, meanwhile, were already building their own case against him.
The Brewery Claims $2 Million a Year in Sales
Bangstad frames the state’s move as an attack on a business, not just a person. He says Minocqua Brewing pulls in more than $2 million annually between beer and merchandise sales, backed by what he calls the largest social media following of any brewery in Wisconsin. Shutting that down, he argues, is “anti-American and anti-Wisconsin.” Per WPR, the state disputes that framing entirely.
The State Says the Rules Apply to Everyone
Wisconsin’s Department of Revenue has held its ground, stating its Division of Alcohol Beverages exists to enforce state law “fair and consistent” of politics, according to TMZ. Bangstad sees a political hit job, the state sees unpaid taxes and unlicensed shipments. Both sides agree on one thing: come August 4, Minocqua Brewing Company either wins its appeal or stops pouring beer in Wisconsin entirely.