Donald Trump’s critic and brewery owner Kirk Bangstad says the state is coming after him. His Wisconsin brewery is fighting to keep its doors open.
A beer promotion tied to one of the country’s most polarizing figures has put a small business at the center of a political firestorm. The owner insists he’s being punished for his views, while state officials point to permit violations. Now the fight over whether the taps stay open is heading toward a deadline.
Owner Kirk Bangstad claimed state regulators are targeting his brewery over its anti-Donald Trump stance
A Wisconsin brewery famous for promising free beer once Donald Trump dies is scrambling to stay in business as the state moves to pull its alcohol permit. Owner Kirk Bangstad says the timing is no accident and calls himself a political target.
The Minocqua Brewing Company says the Wisconsin Department of Revenue plans to shut it down by August 4, according to a newsletter Bangstad published. A vocal Trump critic who bills his business as the state’s most progressive brewery, Bangstad argues the government wants to make an example of him because of his politics.
His anti-Trump promotion and steady stream of online commentary have long defined the brand. “They’ll have to pry me out of my taprooms before I stop selling beer to thirsty progressives who come to visit us,” he said.
He dismissed the alleged violations behind the move as “laughable” and “fabricated,” publishing a point-by-point rebuttal and vowing to fight “tooth and nail” with a crowdfunded legal defense.
The state tells a different story. Wisconsin’s DOR told The Independent it issued notices to revoke the company’s Brewer’s permit at two locations and an Alcohol Beverage Warehouse permit at another. The brewery controversy now hinges on the appeal, which the business must file by August 4. His liquor license fight is far from over.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK THIS CASE IS ABOUT POLITICS OR PERMIT VIOLATIONS?
Reported by ashnagaur on Mandatory.
