Felony Charge for Selling a Wisconsin Beer In Minnesota: Americans, This is Where We Live
Complete f-ing insanity from the outskirts of the Land of the Free, as reported by Minnesota Star-Tribune, about a former pair of publicans from Minnesota who will be going to court in March facing felony charges for selling Spotted Cow beer at the Maple Tavern in Maple Grove, Minnesota.
The former owner and manager (the bar is under new management now with a new liquor license) Brandon Hlavka and David Lantos face a felony charge for transporting alcohol into Minnesota for resale without the requisite license to do that.
The beer, New Glaurus Spotted Cow, is from Wisconsin and since its manfacturer is not licensed to sell in Minnesota, it is against the law to sell it in the state.
The barmen bought some kegs of it retail in Wisconsin and moved it across state lines to sell to their microbrew-thirsty customers.
America has an unnamed "anonymous tipster" to Wisconsin's Department of Revenue, who then squealed to Minnesota's Department of Public Safety, to thank for this most American of felony prosecutions. Take a bow, you anonymous patriot!
As City Pages reports, agents went in and were served the illegal beer, before they then seized three kegs and the prosecution began.
A New York bar faced the same nonsensical prosecution over the same beer in 2009.
Jesse Walker on the craft beer revolution, not yet gone far enough.
