Wisconsin Brewery That Promised Free Beer if Trump Died Now Faces Permit Revocation

A Wisconsin brewery whose owner once promised free beer if Donald Trump dies is now facing the loss of its alcohol permit.

Minocqua Brewing Company, which brands itself as 'the state's most progressive brewery,' has been notified that its brewer's and warehouse permits will be revoked in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue has set 4 August as the key date for the permit revocation, although the business can continue operating during any appeal.

Owner and Democratic activist Kirk Bangstad has vowed not to stop pouring pints, insisting the fight with regulators is political as much as procedural.

The brewing company's clash with the state has turned a local licensing dispute into a national story about free speech, Trump, and how far a 'free beer if he dies' joke can really go.

State Says Rules, Not Politics, Behind Wisconsin Brewery Action

In an emailed statement, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue's Division of Alcohol Beverages stressed that its action against the Wisconsin brewery is rooted in law, not ideology.

'The Division of Alcohol Beverages is dedicated to the fair and consistent enforcement of alcohol beverages regulations in Wisconsin,' the agency said. 'The division is required to follow and implement state law, including ensuring permit holders and licensees follow all applicable laws and regulations. The division takes appropriate actions when these laws are not followed.'

The department confirmed it had issued notice of a brewer's permit revocation for two Minocqua Brewing Company locations, along with notice of an Alcohol Beverage Warehouse permit revocation for one site.

Officials said the business has until 4 August to appeal and may continue operating during that appeal period.

The alleged violations are relatively straightforward. State officials say Bangstad's company transported and sold beer brewed in Illinois without proper Wisconsin permits and without paying the necessary state excise tax.

Bangstad, however, insists the timing and intensity of the crackdown cannot be separated from his profile as a loud critic of Trump and other Republicans.

Wisconsin Brewery Owner Vows To 'Fight Tooth and Nail'

Bangstad has not been shy about turning Minocqua Brewing Company into a political vehicle as well as a Wisconsin brewery brand.

He calls it 'the state's most progressive brewery' and sells '#ProgressiveBeer' lines featuring the faces of figures such as Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez and Kamala Harris.

In a newsletter and Substack posts to supporters, he said the permit fight is the latest and most serious flashpoint in what he describes as a long‑running battle with Republican officials and beer distributors.

'As you can imagine, I'm not taking this lying down,' he wrote. 'We're going to fight the state of Wisconsin tooth and nail, and once again, they'll have to pry me out of my taprooms before I stop selling beer to thirsty progressives who come to visit us.'

He called the revocation 'heavy‑handed' and urged readers to donate to a legal defence fund, saying, 'We need all the money we can get to sue the Department of Revenue and stay in business.'

Bangstad has also tried to frame the dispute as a test of whether a state government can, in his view, use technical violations to chill political speech.

'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 argued.

From 'Free Beer Day' to FBI Questions for the Wisconsin Brewery Boss

Minocqua Brewing Company's notoriety did not start with the tax and permitting allegations. The Wisconsin brewery has spent years posting sharply worded anti‑Trump messages, but one set of posts pushed that posture into genuinely risky territory.

In January, a post from the brewery's account promised 'Free beer, all day long the day he dies.' The message did not mention Trump by name, but referred to 'he' and told followers, 'Show us this post when it happens in a few months and we'll make good on that promise.'

The post was later updated to clarify that the free beer offer would apply at the Madison taproom, and, if the timing worked, at the Minocqua taproom in the summer.

Then, in April, shots were fired outside the ballroom hosting the White House Correspondents' Dinner, where Trump and members of his Cabinet were gathered. Authorities said Cole Allen tried to force his way through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun outside the venue.

After that incident, the brewery's Facebook page posted, '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.'

That line attracted the attention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Video later posted by Bangstad showed FBI agents questioning him and his lawyer about whether he or anyone he knew intended to harm Trump or Vice-President JD Vance, or supported groups with that aim.

According to Bangstad, he and his attorney told agents they neither planned nor wished harm on Trump or Vance and did not support any violent groups. No charges have been reported in relation to the posts, but the footage of the FBI at a craft brewery's door made its own kind of viral splash.

Politics on Tap at a Swing‑State Wisconsin Brewery

Minocqua Brewing Company has never tried to hide its politics, and that is part of what makes this Wisconsin brewery story resonate far beyond local licensing boards. The business, which Bangstad bought with his late wife in 2016, was aggressively rebranded after the Covid‑19 pandemic as a haven for liberals in a closely contested state.

Wisconsin backed Joe Biden in 2020 and Trump in 2024, and remains one of the country's most hard‑fought battlegrounds.

Bangstad insists that 'there's no doubt in my mind that both beer distributors AND Republicans want me out of this state.' That is his interpretation. State officials have declined to engage directly with that accusation and have stuck to talking about regulations and permits.

The company now faces a stark practical question. With the Department of Revenue moving ahead on revocation and an appeal deadline looming, Bangstad says he has no plans to 'cut off his kegs' and intends to challenge the decision in court.

The permit revocation follows a June raid in which state officials seized canned beer from Minocqua Brewing Company. According to the Department of Revenue, the products had been transported into Wisconsin from Illinois without the required permits and excise taxes.

It can be recalled that the department's Division of Alcohol Beverages is responsible for enforcing those rules and can move to pull licences if it finds repeated or serious breaches.

The current notice affects two brewery locations and one warehouse permit, which together cover Minocqua Brewing's operations in Wisconsin. The company has until 4 August to appeal the decision through the state process.

Whether this Wisconsin brewery ends up as a free‑speech cause, a cautionary tale about playing politics with business, or simply a case study in what happens when you cross state alcohol laws, will depend on how those judges read the paperwork, and perhaps how many people still want that free beer day.