Welp. This is definitely the first time I’ve heard of this marketing tactic.
A few months back in January, a Wisconsin Brewery posted a wild special to their social media, promising their customers that they would give out “free beer, all day long, the day that [Donald Trump] dies.” They then stated that the post would work as a virtual coupon that patrons could show “in a few months” when he passes away, noting that they’ll “make good on that promise.”
Well, now, a few months later, the Micocqua Brewing Company, which sells a pale ale called “Fascist Tears” and a gose named “Abolish ICE,” is about to get its alcohol permit taken away, according to state officials. The establishment, owned by progressive activist Kirk Bangstad, is set to have its permit stripped on August 4 following a raid of the building in June where state officials confiscated canned beers after they had allegedly been transported from Illinois to Wisconsin without proper permits and taxes.
The Wisconsin Division of Alcohol Beverages noted in a statement that they are “dedicated to the fair and consistent enforcement of alcohol beverages regulations in Wisconsin. The division is required to follow and implement state law, including ensuring permit holders and licensees follow all applicable laws and regulations.”
As for owner Bangstad, he says that his self-coined “most progressive brewery” in the state is not backing down and calls the revocation of his license “laughable.” He sent out a lengthy letter on his Substack newsletter, sharing that the investigation is completely unnecessary and was spurred by “false complaints made by ‘MAGA trolls.”
Either Agent Zautner is wildly overzealous, or she’s doing the bidding of beer distributors who want to cancel us and/or establishment Democrats in Wisconsin’s Executive Branch who want to silence us.
As for his Donald Trump death-wish-post promising free beer, FBI agents have already questioned Bangstad, but not until he posted a second Facebook post following the alleged assassination attempt on Trump at the House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25. The brewery owner wrote, “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.”
Upon his interactions with FBI agents, Bangstad and his attorney clarified that they did not plan any violent attacks or wish harm on President Trump and VP JD Vance. Still, the vocal Trump critic views the state’s plan to shut down his business as an attempt for the government to make an example out of him.
Oh, and did I mention he also tried to run for Governor, which he also claims was an unfair race after the Wisconsin Elections Commission “invalidated hundreds of signatures which ultimately knocked me off the ballot.” He says that now that he’s lost his shot at the gubernatorial race, the state is coming for his small business and their attempt to shut him down is both “anti-American and anti-Wisconsin.”
In the meantime, he has until August 4 to challenge their permit revocations, which, given his heated letter, seems inevitable. The Minocqua Brewing Company also posted earlier today letting everyone know they were still open for business, selling their ‘free beer day’ t-shirts and prepping their beer for the self-proclaimed holiday as Trump is “looking tired as hell.”
You truly can’t make this stuff up.
