Well folks,
As always, there's quite a bit happening at the intersection of Wisconsin politics and the Minocqua Brewing Company.
I could update you on our municipal harassment, school voucher, and Lakeland Times defamation lawsuits, and I'd also really love to analyze the fact that just last week, half of Wisconsin's congressional delegation unsurprisingly but still appallingly voted NOT to expel the wildly corrupt George Santos from Congress...
...But alas, for the next two months, the Minocqua Brewing Company and I need to focus on building a new Tap Room in Madison.
My partner in liberal caffeine production, Tom at Rusty Dog Coffee, put me in touch with Scott/Jerry at Madison's awesome design firm Art and Sons, and together with my secret beer-label-designing weapon Tony (I'm not linking to him, or else you'll have access to my secret weapon) and architect at Christopher Max Design , we proverbially "belched out" a hilariously-progressive museum-like drinking hole idea. Believe it or not, even my general contractor is excited to start building it.
Pictured above is just half of the space, and the other half--including thematic bathrooms--is going to be just as fun.
Now, because the Minocqua Brewing Company would not exist without your grass roots support in helping us fend off attacks from he Town of Minocqua and our local right-wing newspaper, and because everyone that makes the Minocqua Brewing Company what it is today--from my tap room staff to my brewing/sales/distribution/marketing colleagues--found me through my political activism, I obviously want to create a space with as much of "you" in it as possible.
I'd like to do that by putting your name on our "Can Wall" that spells out #lovewins. When I partnered with Equality Vines to make our CHOICE line of wines, I met their co-owner Jim Obergefell, who also happened to be the plaintiff in the SCOTUS case that gave us marriage equality, "Obergefell v Hodges." After that case, the hashtag #lovewins became a slogan for the lgbtq+ community and the name of one of the first sparkling wines Jim and his business partner Matt made. Since our partnership, we collaborated to make a "Love Wins" fruited sour ale, and I fell in love with the idea of creating a huge wall of cans that spelled out that slogan.
We figured it's going to take about 385 cans to build this wall, and I'd definitely love to put 385 of your names on each can to help personalize the wall and raise more money to pay for the overall construction of this space.
If you'd like to have us put your name on our #lovewins can wall, please "buy" it here.
Next up, when I announced that I secured a spot in Madison to open a new tap room as a protective measure after having been shut down by our county zoning department at the height of the summer tourism season, I worried that it would be a stretch to finance the new place if we weren't allowed to sell beer "Up North" in August.
As a way to finance those early architectural, demolition, and design expenses, I offered to sell customers permanent brass personalized nameplates on the backs of our bar stools or chairs for $1000. I promised that customers would not only receive a lifetime mug club membership with this purchase, but they'd forever have "priority" to sit in their own stool, and that we'd buy any customer sitting in that patron's stool before they got there a free beer if they'd move over.
13 of you took me up on the offer so far, and now that I know how many stools/chairs we're going to have, I'd like to sell the final 8 nameplates. If you'd like to buy one, please go here.
Next up, we've already sold many of you a year-long Mug Club membership to the new Madison tap room, but we thought we'd remind you about them before the holidays, because they'll make great gifts for Madison locals.
With a purchase of a $100 Mug Club membership, customer's receive:
- $1 off all pours at all times
- $2 off pours on Mug Club Thursday and Mug Club Sunday
- 10% off Merchandise
- One free pour anytime during your birthday month
For a $200 Mug Club membership, customers will receive all the perks seen above plus a custom made "Founding Member Madison Tap Room" t-shirt with their name on it that lets people know they helped get us across the finish line.
To round out some of the creative ways that you can help fund our new Madison tap room, we're offering exclusive fully-catered parties for all of your friends, and even an opportunity to make a beer that supports your favorite progressive cause.
Last but not least, we didn't want to leave out our friends that live outside of Madison, so we recently released a gift card that can be used in either our Madison our Minocqua locations. I think this would make a great stocking stuffer.
That's all I have for you today, folks. We'll get back into politics, activism, and our weekly Up North Podcast radio show after we open up this Madison Tap Room and make sure things are running smoothly.
Thanks for reading, and thanks for your continued support.
Together (now in two different tap rooms and in liquor stores across the Midwest), we'll Make Wisconsin Great Again, One Beer at a Time.
Kirk Bangstad
Owner, Minocqua Brewing Company
Founder, Minocqua Brewing Company Tap Room