A Wisconsin brewery identified for anti-Trump social media posts, together with one promising a free beer promotion upon the demise of President Donald Trump, has had its allow to function within the state revoked by state officers.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Monday that liberal activist and brewery proprietor Kirk Bangstad is “vowing to combat ‘tooth and nail’ after receiving a letter from the state’s Division of Income revoking Minocqua Brewing Co.’s allow to function in Wisconsin, in keeping with a July 26 publication despatched to his supporters.”
“As you may think about, I’m not taking this mendacity down,” Bangstad wrote in a Substack publish on Sunday. “We’re going to combat the state of Wisconsin tooth and nail, and as soon as once more, they’ll need to pry me out of my taprooms earlier than I cease promoting beer to thirsty progressives who come to go to us.”
He additionally requested readers to donate to his authorized protection fund, writing, “As traditional, combating to maintain my enterprise alive means I’ve to pay attorneys, and that’s by no means low-cost. Each time this [happens], I rack up $100K in authorized payments earlier than we even see a choose. When you might help chip in to the Minocqua Firm’s authorized protection fund, I’d actually admire it.”
The revocation of the beer license goes into impact on Aug. 4, the Sentinel reported. The enterprise has areas in Madison and Minocqua.
In a press release to Fox Information Digital, a spokesperson for the Wisconsin Division of Income stated, “The Wisconsin Division of Alcohol Drinks is devoted to the honest and constant enforcement of alcohol drinks rules in Wisconsin. The division is required to comply with and implement state legislation, together with guaranteeing allow holders and licensees comply with all relevant legal guidelines and rules. The division takes acceptable actions when these legal guidelines will not be adopted.”
The spokesperson added, “We will affirm that the Division of Income has issued discover of a Brewer’s allow revocation for 2 Minocqua Brewing Firm areas and see of an Alcohol Beverage Warehouse allow revocation for one location. The enterprise has till August 4th to attraction and might function in the course of the attraction course of. Ought to the enterprise determine to attraction, the subsequent step could be to attraction to the Secretary of the Division of Income, who will assign the attraction to a Division of Income listening to examiner for his or her suggestions as to proposed findings of truth and conclusions of legislation.”
The Sentinel reported that state regulators pursued revoking Bangstad’s alcohol license after authorities seized canned beer from his firm in June, alleging it had been transported from Illinois with out the required permits and taxes. The newspaper additionally reported that Bangstad criticized the proposed motion as an extreme response, arguing the alleged tax violations didn’t warrant shutting down his enterprise.
On Jan. 22, the Minocqua Brewing Firm appeared to recommend it will give free beer to patrons if Trump was killed, and whereas not explicitly utilizing his identify, posted on Fb, “Free beer, all day lengthy the day he dies.”
The publish continued, “Present us this publish when it occurs in just a few months and we’ll make good on that promise.”
The publish was up to date to say, “we meant the Madison Taproom as a result of that’s open all 12 months, if he dies in the summertime, then it’s gonna be the Minocqua Taproom.”
In reply to touch upon the publish, the corporate additionally didn’t confer with Trump by identify however stated that the publish hinted at a high-profile determine when requested whether or not the timeline for the deal may very well be moved up earlier.
“Nicely that’s as much as you and your means to behave like a cia [sic] agent,” the corporate wrote.
Following the April capturing on the White Home Correspondents’ Dinner the place Trump was current, the corporate wrote on Fb, “Nicely, we virtually acquired #freebeerday.”
“Both a brother or sister within the Resistance must work on their marksmanship or he faked one other assassination to get a constructive information cycle,” the publish added. “We’ll by no means know. Regardless, we stand on the able to pour free beer the day it occurs.”
Bangstad, the proprietor of the brewery, can also be the founding father of the Minocqua Brewing Firm SuperPAC, which “goals to take away Republican federal and state elected officers who perpetuated the election lies that brought on the Rebellion of January 6, 2021, and whose downplaying of the seriousness of COVID-19 brought on so many pointless deaths in our nation,” in keeping with the brewery’s web site.
Reached for remark by Fox Information Digital, Bangstad declined to remark immediately however made jokes concerning the deaths of Trump and Mitch McConnell and made disparaging remarks about Fox.
