The owner of Minocqua Brewing Co. said Monday that the Madison taproom in Wisconsin will likely shut down by the end of the year after state officials revoked the company’s alcohol permits.
Channel 3000 reported that Minocqua Brewing Co. owner Kirk Bangstad said the Madison taproom is likely to shut down as the business continues fighting the state’s decision.
The brewery has become known for its outspoken messaging against President Donald Trump.
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) revoked brewing permits for the company’s Minocqua and Madison locations after alleging violations involving beer transported from Illinois without the required permits and tax payments.
The brewery has disputed the state’s action and accused officials of targeting it because of its political views.
The department told Fox News Digital in a statement Thursday that there is a hearing on the company’s appeal on Nov. 18, and that the revocation does not take effect until appeals are done, adding that the “DOR is dedicated to fair and consistent enforcement of alcohol beverage regulations in Wisconsin and takes action when the laws are not followed, as occurred here.”
Bangstad’s breweries have made headlines for offering free beer if President Trump dies.
On Jan. 22, the Minocqua Brewing Company appeared to suggest it would give free beer to patrons if Trump was killed, and while not explicitly using his name, posted on Facebook, “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 post continued.
Wisconsin’s Minocqua Brewing Co. faces closure after the state revoked its alcohol permits over alleged transport and tax violations. Credit: Google Maps
The post was updated to say, “We meant the Madison Taproom because that’s open all year, if he dies in the summer, then it’s gonna be the Minocqua Taproom.”
In reply to comment on the post, the company also did not refer to Trump by name but said the message referred to a high-profile figure when asked whether the timeline for the deal could be moved up earlier.
After the April shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner where Trump was present, the company wrote on Facebook, “Well, we almost got #freebeerday.”
The brewery gained notoriety on Jan. 22 for promoting free beer on the day President Trump dies. Getty Images
The brewery also offered half-price beer when Sen. Mitch McConnell dies.
“When they announce that McConnell’s Faustian dance has finally ended, we’re gonna start serving our beer at ‘half price,’ because we promised #halfpricebeerday on the day they unplug the ventilator,” the brewery said in an Instagram post.
McConnell, who is 84, was absent from the Senate for months after being hospitalized for a fall in his home earlier this year.
The Kentucky Republican returned to the Senate last week ahead of key votes.
Bangstad, who owns the brewery, is also the founder of the Minocqua Brewing Company SuperPAC, which “aims to remove Republican federal and state elected officials who perpetuated the election lies that caused the Insurrection of January 6, 2021, and whose downplaying of the seriousness of COVID-19 caused so many unnecessary deaths in our country,” according to the brewery’s website.
Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, the brewery made disparaging remarks about Trump and again noted that it will host a “#freebeerday” when the president passes.
“Reminder, however, no red hats allowed,” the brewery added.
