Free Beer Taunt Backfires — License On Chopping Block

Group toasting with beer glasses in a pub — Photo: View Apart / Shutterstock

A far‑left Wisconsin brewery that cheered “free beer day” when President Trump dies is now facing the loss of its license after state regulators say it broke alcohol and tax laws.

Story Snapshot

Wisconsin’s revenue department moved to revoke Minocqua Brewing Company’s brewer’s permit over alleged licensing and tax violations.
The liberal brewery gained national attention for promising free beer “all day long” when President Trump dies.
State officials previously seized tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of its beer amid a dispute over Illinois‑brewed product sold in Wisconsin.
The owner calls the crackdown political, while regulators say they are simply enforcing alcohol laws.

State Targets Brewery Over Alleged Permit And Tax Violations

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue has issued formal notice that it intends to revoke Minocqua Brewing Company’s brewer’s permit, citing violations tied to how the business makes, stores, and sells alcohol. The notice reportedly covers two taproom locations, in Minocqua and Madison, and an alcohol warehouse permit for one site. A department spokesperson said the company has a set deadline to appeal and is allowed to keep operating during that appeal process. The move follows an earlier seizure of beer during a tax and permit dispute.

Owner Kirk Bangstad, a self‑described progressive activist, said in his own newsletter and posts that agents accused the company of running an unapproved retail outlet, breaking shipping rules, and holding untaxed beer in an unlicensed warehouse. He claims most of the issues grew out of a contract with an Illinois brewery that helps produce Minocqua’s beer, a step he says was needed because Wisconsin law blocked him from shipping beer directly to online customers outside the state. Bangstad argues that the state is stretching minor questions about tax paperwork into grounds to shut him down.

Long History Of Permit Fights And Local Noncompliance

This is not the first time Minocqua Brewing Company has run into government trouble. In Oneida County, local officials previously revoked the company’s operating permit after finding repeated violations of zoning and site‑use rules. County records and reports describe problems with outdoor seating, parking, trash bin coverage, and other conditions attached to its permit over several years. The county planning and development committee said the business ignored warnings and left them “no other option” but to shut it down. The dispute eventually moved into state and federal courts as the owner alleged political retaliation.

A federal appeals opinion later noted that the brewery and Bangstad had conceded many of the basic zoning violations but still argued that enforcement was selective because of his outspoken left‑wing politics. At one point, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals granted the brewery a temporary injunction that let it reopen while judges weighed claims of selective enforcement. That ruling did not erase the underlying permit problems but showed how messy these fights become when politics and local rules collide. For years, the brewery has used these legal battles to raise money and media attention, painting itself as a victim of conservative officials.

“Free Beer When Trump Dies” Promotion Draws Federal Scrutiny

Beyond zoning and tax fights, Minocqua Brewing Company sparked national outrage with a promotion that openly celebrated the future death of President Trump. Earlier this year, the brewery posted on Facebook that people could enjoy “free beer all day long on the day he dies,” telling followers to show the post when that day comes to claim their drinks. Later messages clarified that the free beer would be poured at the Madison taproom year‑round, or at the Minocqua taproom if Trump died in the summer. The stunt was aimed at Trump specifically and played to the company’s “progressive beer” branding.

department spokesperson said Minocqua Brewing Co. has until 8/4 to appeal & can operate during the appeal process.

notice of a brewer's permit revocation for 2 Minocqua Brewing Co. locations & notice of an Alcohol Beverage Warehouse permit revocation for one location.

— Jacobs Ladder (@duanepoole) July 28, 2026

The rhetoric went even further after a man allegedly tried to assassinate President Trump during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel. Just after news broke that shots were fired at the event attended by Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Cabinet members, the brewery posted that America “almost got #freebeerday” and suggested the shooter needed to “work on their marksmanship.” The post said the brewery stood “ready to pour free beer the day it happens” and pushed T‑shirts wishing it was “free beer day.” Those comments led the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Secret Service to interview Bangstad about perceived threats against the president.

Political Spin Versus Rule Of Law

Bangstad now claims the permit revocation is proof that Wisconsin’s Republican‑leaning establishment is trying to silence a progressive voice, calling the enforcement “heavy‑handed” and politically driven in his Substack posts and legal filings. However, the Department of Revenue says its alcohol division is focused on fair, consistent enforcement of state law and only takes action when investigations find actual violations. Reports show that agents documented concrete issues with how Minocqua Brewing handled retail sales, shipping, licensing, and tax treatment of beer made in Illinois and sold in Wisconsin.

For conservatives who respect the rule of law, this case looks less like censorship and more like accountability. Most small breweries play by the rules, pay their taxes, and keep their permits in good standing. Minocqua Brewing Company, by contrast, has built a brand on mocking President Trump, celebrating his death in advance, and daring regulators to respond — all while racking up real, documented compliance problems. When a business mixes open contempt for half the country with sloppy obedience to the law, eventual pushback from regulators is not a surprise; it is how equal enforcement is supposed to work.