Minocqua Brewing Company, a Wisconsin brewery known for its anti-Donald Trump stance and a social media promotion offering "free beer, all day long the day he dies," has had its alcohol permit revoked by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. The revocation is set to take effect on Tuesday, August 4, 2026.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Kirk Bangstad, the brewery’s owner and a liberal activist, received a letter from the state's Department of Revenue informing him of the permit revocation. Bangstad responded in a July 27 Substack post, stating, "As you can imagine, I’m not taking this lying down," and vowed to fight the decision "tooth and nail."

Bangstad further declared, "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."

The permit revocation follows an incident in June when state regulators seized canned beer from Minocqua Brewing Company, alleging the beer had been transported from Illinois without the necessary permits and taxes. In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the Wisconsin Department of Revenue said, "The Wisconsin Division of Alcohol Beverages is dedicated to the fair and consistent enforcement of alcohol beverages regulations in Wisconsin."

Bangstad also highlighted the financial strain of the legal battle, noting, "As usual, fighting to keep my business alive means I have to pay lawyers, and that’s never cheap. Every time this [happens], I rack up $100K in legal bills before we even see a judge. If you can help chip in to the Minocqua Company’s legal defense fund, I’d really appreciate it."

The brewery’s website states that it began producing "#progressivebeer" after closing its brewpub, citing political disagreements with Donald Trump’s handling of COVID-19 and Senate leadership. Bangstad is also the founder of the Minocqua Brewing Company SuperPAC, which aims to remove Republican officials who, according to the site, perpetuated election falsehoods and downplayed the seriousness of COVID-19.

Sources