Miller and Coors Beers to Become Illegal in Minnesota? Here’s Why

If you are heading up north for a vacation and you expect to consume two of  Americas  top 5  favorite beers, you might want to re-think your plan, because  Minnesota’s government shut-down has just hit home for local beer drinkers. MillerCoors applied to renew its state-mandated registration back in June, but it wasn’t handled before government offices shut down. That means none of MillerCoors’ 39 brands, such as Blue Moon or Killian’s Irish Red, can be legally sold in locations such as bars or convenience stores — or for that matter, anywhere in the twelfth largest state in the US.
“I would suspect within days to see that product leave the shelves,” a spokesman for the Department of Public Safety told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Worse yet, the establishments that serve beer are also feeling the pinch. About 300 bars, restaurants and stores are due to renew their $20 “buyer’s card” that allows them to replenish their beer and other alcohol supplies — but since little state business is being handled, they’re out of luck too. So by the end of July, there could be as many as 425 “dry bars” in Minnesota. To ward this off, the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association, which sells beer and liquor throughout the state, has been petitioning the government for the part-time clerical staff needed to process buyer’s card renewals. In the meantime, beer lovers may have to switch to soda. or jump the State Line.