While Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad lost his bid last week to unseat four-term Republican in incumbent Rob Swearingen in the race for Wisconsin's 34th Assembly District, he hasn't thrown in the towel on politics.
On Wednesday (#wibeerwednesday, that is) Bangstad's Minocqua Brewing – which turned some heads recently with its ginormous Biden Harris banner hung outside the brewery in the Up North vacation hotspot – released Biden Beer.
Not only is this a winning brew because it's named for President-Elect Joe Biden, who according to CNN has gotten more votes than any presidential candidate in history, but because it's a kolsch!! Who doesn't love a refreshing kolsch, which, straddling the line between ale and lager, has a little something for everyone.
In launching the beer, Minocqua Brewing posted this to Facebook:
Introducing Biden Beer!
It's inoffensive, especially to women.
It's not bitter.
It's best served while taking the temperature down.
Guaranteed not to overstay its welcome in your fridge.
How do you spell RELIEF? Biden Beer.
Available while supplies last.
Brewer Rich will be selling directly, and he'll send you packing if you don't wear a mask.This Thursday, Friday, Saturday, from 3-6 pm
And sorry, we can’t ship it to you, get in your car and take a drive #upnorth
Can’t make it up here? Show that you appreciate progressive beer by drinking in your new MBC T-shirt:
https://minocquabrewingcompany.com/shop
That post has more than 5,000 likes and nearly 1,000 comments and national media, like The Hill, has picked up the story, too.
Crowlers are selling for $6 or $15 for a three-pack.
It's a bad time for a road trip anywhere these days, but especially in the COVID hotspot that is Wisconsin, so instead of making a Biden Beer run, we'll just pop the top on a Gathering Place Treffpunkt and salute our beer drinkin' neighbors to the north.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
