Well folks, it turns out that promising complimentary brews to celebrate the potential demise of a sitting president is not exactly a winning business strategy. A Wisconsin brewery owner is now learning that particular lesson the hard way after state officials yanked his permit to operate, as reported by The American Tribune.
Kirk Bangstad, the liberal activist who runs Minocqua Brewing Co., has built quite the brand around posting anti Trump content on social media. On January 22, 2026, his company published a Facebook post that read, "Free beer, all day long, the day he dies." The post encouraged customers to show the offer "when it happens in a few months" to redeem the deal. Now, the post never explicitly named Trump, because apparently being coy about it makes everything totally fine and legal. The company even helpfully updated the post to clarify which taproom location would honor the promotion, because logistics matter when you are planning celebrations around someone's death.
But wait, it gets better. When a commenter asked if the timeline could be sped up, the brewery responded with, "Well that's up to you and your ability to act like a CIA agent." Nothing screams responsible small business owner quite like hinting at assassination on your company Facebook page.
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue sent Bangstad a letter informing him that his brewer's permit was being revoked at two Minocqua Brewing locations, along with an alcohol beverage warehouse permit at a third spot. A department spokesperson offered the most bureaucratically beautiful statement imaginable, saying they are "dedicated to the fair and consistent enforcement" of alcohol regulations and take "appropriate actions" when laws are not followed.
Bangstad, naturally, is treating this like his personal Alamo. In a Substack blog post blasted out to followers, he declared he would fight "tooth and nail" and proclaimed that authorities would have to physically remove him from his taprooms before he stops serving beer to "thirsty progressives." He also kindly reminded his readers that lawyers cost money, noting that every legal battle racks up around $100,000 in bills before he even sees a judge. So yes, he would very much appreciate donations to his legal defense fund. Nothing pairs better with craft beer than a GoFundMe.
The revocation takes effect on August 4, 2026, and Bangstad has until then to file an appeal. He can keep operating during that process, so the taps will keep flowing for now. If he does appeal, it goes to the Secretary of the Department of Revenue, who assigns it to a hearing examiner.
So to recap: man builds entire brewery brand around political rage posting, crosses a very obvious line by offering free beer tied to a president potentially dying, gets his license pulled, and is now asking strangers on the internet to fund his legal fight. Somewhere out there, a business school professor is adding this to their "What Not To Do" syllabus.
Read more American news stories at: The American Tribune
