The Wisconsin Department of Revenue has confirmed the revocation of all alcohol permits for the Minocqua Brewing Company, effective 4 August 2026, following a controversial social media promotion offering free beer on the day of Donald Trump's death.
Owner Kirk Bangstad slammed the penalty as a politically motivated crackdown by state officials against his progressive activism, though a federal appeals court recently dismissed his political retaliation claims in a separate zoning dispute.
Operating taprooms in Madison and Minocqua, the pub faces imminent closure unless a successful legal challenge halts the enforcement before the August deadline.
The row was triggered by a Facebook post: 'Free beer, all day long the day he dies. Show us this post when it happens in a few months and we'll make good on that promise.'
The offer was later amended to specify which taproom would honour the pledge depending on the season it happened in.
Federal Appeals Court Rejects Political Retaliation Claims
Owner Kirk Bangstad's political-retaliation defence has already been tested in court and lost. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently affirmed a district court's refusal to grant the Brewery an injunction in a separate dispute over its permit for an outdoor beer garden in Oneida County.
Court records revealed a multi-year pattern of noncompliance dating back to 2022, when the establishment conducted outdoor retail sales despite holding a permit restricted to indoor operations. Subsequent permits were revoked after the brewery repeatedly opened without meeting mandatory conditions or ignored suspension notices entirely.
The pattern repeated in 2025 when the business reopened without any valid permit at all. The federal court ruled that the brewery effectively conceded these violations, concluding that any reasonable regulatory body would deny or revoke permits under identical circumstances.
Wisconsin Confirms Revocation, Effective 4 August
Separately, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue has confirmed a Brewer's permit revocation for both Minocqua Brewing Company locations, along with an Alcohol Beverage Warehouse permit revocation, set to take effect on 4 August. The brewery remains open in the meantime while it pursues an appeal.
A spokesperson for the Division of Alcohol Beverages insisted the move was procedural, stating the division is 'dedicated to the fair and consistent enforcement of alcohol beverages regulations in Wisconsin' and is 'required to follow and implement state law.'
Officials confirmed permit holders had broken additional rules beyond the beer promotion itself. Bangstad has dismissed these as minor infractions and points the finger squarely at his politics instead.
'Everyone reading this, Democrat or Republican, should recoil at the thought of a small and thriving business being destroyed by their state government over such small violations—especially a brewery in the state of Wisconsin!' he said.
FBI Scrutiny Following Social Media Controversy
The licence threat is not Bangstad's first brush with federal scrutiny this year. Roughly three months earlier, FBI agents interviewed him over a Facebook post referencing an alleged assassination attempt against Trump following the White House Correspondents' Dinner on 25 April, when authorities say Cole Allen tried to force his way through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun outside the ballroom.
In that post, Bangstad wrote: 'Well, we almost got #freebeerday. Either a brother or sister in the Resistance needs to work on their marksmanship or he faked another assassination to get a positive news cycle.' Footage later shared by Bangstad showed agents questioning him and his attorney over the remark. Both told agents they neither planned nor wished harm on Trump or Vice President JD Vance.
Brewery Owner Vows Legal Fight Ahead of August Deadline
Bangstad, a self-described liberal activist known for using the brewery's platforms to criticise Trump and other Republicans, has pledged to challenge the revocation 'tooth and nail' after receiving a letter from state officials dated 15 July.
Bangstad has launched a public fundraising campaign to finance his upcoming court battles. 'We need all the money we can get to sue the Department of Revenue and stay in business,' he said. 'They'll have to pry me out of my taprooms before I stop selling beer to thirsty progressives who come to visit us.'
Bangstad says he is prepared to take the matter to court as he seeks to overturn the revocation before it takes effect on 4 August and insists that state officials will need to physically remove him from his taprooms before he stops serving customers, setting the stage for a dramatic legal showdown in Wisconsin courts.
