Northwoods Reporter

Minocqua Brewing Company has made headlines for its politically-themed beer labels that feature images of Antifa, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Now the brewery is taking its show on the road throughout Wisconsin to tout its "Antifa Oktoberfist" brew that pays tribute to the extremist group currently linked to several violent incidents across the U.S. 

The Wisconsin-based brewery's "Antifa Oktoberfist Tour" spans mid-September through mid-October, visiting the cities of Appleton, Platteville, Eau Claire, Stevens Point, Green Bay, Superior, Hudson, Trempealeau, La Crosse, Viroqua, Oshkosh and Wausau. 

In a blog post announcing the tour, Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad questioned when political violence is justified while introducing a new beer named “Antifa’s Octoberfist,” noting the beer label poses the question: “Is it ok to punch a Nazi?” 

“[W]e must rise again, as ‘antifa’ patriots, to raise a fist against Fascism within our own country,” Bangstad wrote in the blog post.  

The brewery previously launched a line of "#ProgressiveBeer," with profits directed toward abortion rights organizations and initiatives aimed at increasing Democratic voter turnout. 

Short for "antifascists," Antifa has been labeled a "terrorist organization" by political figures who argue that the group's actions warrant such a designation.

“When an organization targets the home of a sitting U.S. Senator, burns down cities across the country, and murders Americans because of their political beliefs, it would normally be designated a terrorist organization. Instead, Democrats like Kamala Harris fundraise to bail them out of prison. ANTIFA, and the Democrats who support it, are enemies of the American people,” Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) said in a 2021 statement. 

Harris promoted the Minnesota Freedom Fund during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, which were well attended by known Antifa members. 

The fund raised $35 million following Harris’s endorsement, helped free individuals convicted of severe crimes, including murder and sexual assault.

Antifa has been accused of being backed by powerful leftist interests, including billionaire George Soros, and is linked to a rise in radical activism on college campuses, particularly during pro-Hamas demonstrations. 

Recent legal actions in Florida saw charges against Antifa members for assaults on pregnancy resource centers. 

Additionally, in Alabama, a man pleaded guilty to detonating a homemade bomb outside the Alabama State Attorney General’s Office as well as placing Antifa stickers near the site. 

An Clackamas County, Ore. case also highlighted violence instigated by Antifa against a peaceful demonstration, which received limited media coverage. Local officials have expressed concern over the inadequate reporting on these violent events by mainstream media, complicating public understanding of the situation.

Bangstad himself was the subject of an arrest warrant request earlier this year following a defamation case leading to a $750,000 judgment against him involving Lakeland Times Publisher Gregg Walker. 

The request came after Bangstad was found guilty of making false claims about a 1987 hunting accident in which Walker's brother was fatally injured.

Bangstad also has a history as a candidate for higher office. In 2020 he ran for Wisconsin State Assembly District 34, losing handily to State Rep. Rob Swearingen (R-Rhinelander).

To further his political agenda, Bangstad created a SuperPAC called “Dark Money Meant for Good,” focused on unseating GOP officials. 

Part of the “dark money” from the beer sales have gone to efforts to overturn school choice in Wisconsin.

In 2023, Bangstad said the brewery was seeking legal action to dismantle Wisconsin's longstanding school choice program. 

At the time Minocqua Brewing Company threatened the state's school choice program through a planned lawsuit by the “Dark Money Meant for Good” PAC. 

Bangstad noted he was targeting the funding model, claiming that private choice schools undermine public education.

Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty President Rick Esenberg criticized Bangstad's claims as misleading and expressed concerns that their success would destabilize Wisconsin’s education system. 

“Wisconsin’s choice program serves over 52,000 students and plays a vital role in Wisconsin’s education system,” Esenberg said in a statement at the time. “Unfortunately, Far-left interest groups are uniting behind a Super PAC, to take education options away from low- and middle-income kids and families across the state.”

Since its inception in Milwaukee in 1990, the school choice program has provided educational opportunities for over 50,000 low-income students across Wisconsin.