Trump-Mocking Brewery Faces State Action

A Wisconsin brewery that joked about “free beer the day President Trump dies” is now losing its permit over alleged shipping and tax violations.

Story Snapshot

Wisconsin’s revenue officials moved to revoke Minocqua Brewing Company’s state brewer’s permit and warehouse permit over claimed regulatory violations.
The brewery is nationally known for posts promising free beer when President Trump dies and for mocking a failed assassination attempt.
Owner Kirk Bangstad calls the state’s actions heavy-handed and plans to appeal and keep fighting.
The case highlights how partisan businesses face strict enforcement when they ignore basic permit, tax, and zoning rules.

State Says Permit Loss Is About Beer Laws, Not Politics

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue told media it issued formal notices to revoke Minocqua Brewing Company’s brewer’s permits for its Minocqua and Madison locations, along with an alcohol beverage warehouse permit for one site. The agency said the business can operate during the appeal window, which runs until August 4, but that it is “required to follow and implement state law” and takes action when permit holders do not follow regulations. In material shared by owner Kirk Bangstad, the alleged violations include running an unauthorized retail outlet, breaking state shipping rules, and holding untaxed beer in a warehouse that did not have the needed permit. State officials earlier seized canned beer they say was hauled in from Illinois without proper paperwork or excise taxes, showing that this fight grew from concrete compliance issues, not just online posts.

Bangstad, a self-described liberal activist, shared the revocation letter with supporters and vowed to fight “tooth and nail” in response. In his own Substack, he claims the Department of Revenue dug through his operation and, after what he called a “painful proctology exam,” came up with less than $500 in missed excise taxes and some late or missing permits. He argues that this does not justify pulling his ability to brew and sell beer in Wisconsin, and he frames the clash as heavy-handed state power aimed at a business known for attacking conservatives. But even his supporters admit the state’s letter focuses on rule-based issues like shipping and warehouse licensing, not his anti-Trump speech.

A Brewery Built On Mocking Trump Runs Into the Rulebook

Minocqua Brewing Company built its brand on open hostility toward President Trump and his voters, selling “progressive” beer and blasting conservatives online. In January, a post widely shared by national outlets promised “free beer all day long” on the day President Trump dies, telling followers to show the post when “that day arrives in a few months.” After gunfire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner led to an attempted assassination charge, the brewery posted, “Well, we almost got #freebeerday,” making light of the attack and again tying its promotion to Trump’s death. That language triggered outrage among conservatives and concern from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which said it was aware of the post and its link to the assassination attempt. For many Trump supporters, the brewery crossed a moral line by cheering for a sitting president’s death, so the later permit loss looks like a long overdue moment of accountability, even if the state cites technical violations.

This is not the first time Bangstad’s operation has clashed with government rules. Oneida County’s Planning and Development Committee revoked Minocqua Brewing Company’s local permit after repeated violations of conditions for its retail outlet and outdoor beer garden. A federal appeals court later noted that Bangstad admitted breaking many permit terms and even kept operating an outdoor beer garden after his permits were suspended. Judges found he could not show proof that county officials were just punishing his political speech, and they pointed instead to a pattern of ignoring rules on storm water, outdoor seating, and other basic requirements. That history matters now, because it shows a business that often dares local and state government to act, then cries “retaliation” when enforcement finally lands.

Free Speech Has Limits When You Break Tax and Permit Rules

For conservative readers, this story is a clear reminder that free speech does not mean freedom from consequences when a business ignores law. Minocqua Brewing Company was free to insult President Trump and celebrate the idea of his death, but the First Amendment does not shield it from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue when it ships beer across state lines without permits, skips excise taxes, or uses unapproved warehouses. Courts reviewing Bangstad’s earlier zoning fight already found he violated conditions and kept selling beer after his local permits were pulled, weakening his claim that he is simply a victim of politics. When a company mixes aggressive partisan branding with sloppy compliance, regulators have strong grounds to act, and that protects every law-abiding brewer, bar owner, and small business that does things the right way.

A Wisconsin brewery whose owner made headlines for promising free beer upon President Donald Trump’s death has had its state operating permit revoked over alleged tax and alcohol-law violations.

Minocqua Brewing Co. owner Kirk Bangstad says he plans to fight the decision after… pic.twitter.com/gSSWzXDXnC

— 🎹 Ames™ 🎹 (@Real_Ames) July 29, 2026

This case also shows how important it is for conservatives to press for even, rule-based enforcement. Many Trump supporters see poetic justice in a brewery that joked about assassination now losing its license, but the official record points to clear, written violations of shipping, tax, and permit law, not a speech crackdown. The stronger we demand that government write, explain, and follow neutral rules, the harder it becomes for progressive activists to claim victim status when their own businesses break those rules. In that sense, the Minocqua Brewing fight is a reminder that the best answer to hateful rhetoric is not censorship, but firm and fair application of the law—especially when those doing the mocking cannot be bothered to obey it.