(Minneapolis, MN) – The wild, wild Midwest…

Update: Per the Star Tribune, MillerCoors sent a check in time but it was returned because they paid too much money. I guess a state in a budget crunch has no interest in keeping money and issuing partial refunds?

Minnesota is currently in day 13 of a statewide government shutdown after a budget proposal impasse.

According to local affiliate, KSTP, MillerCoors alleges that it submitted payment and paperwork for brand registration/renewal prior to the July 1st shutdown. However, the state did not process the paperwork in time so the company’s 39 brands are now on shelves without proper registration. The fee per brand is a mere $30 every three years.

According to reports, the brewing company must come up with a way to remove the product from shelves. Meanwhile, retailers are asserting that they own the product outright and that what was purchased while the brands were properly registered should not be affected. For now, it looks like MillerCoors cannot sell anymore product to its Minnesota wholesale partners until the government shutdown ends and the liquor board approves those brands for renewal. Whether product needs to be pulled should be known soon enough.

MillerCoors is obviously disputing it.

…But it gets worse.

Several hundred Minnesota liquor establishments were unable to renew their buyers’ cards meaning that they cannot order more liquor until the shutdown is over and agencies get back to issuing renewals.

Startup breweries like Steel Toe Brewing cannot open with the shutdown. Steel Toe needs a signature providing clearance for them to be able to use their boiler.

On a local but unrelated note, Lift Bridge Brewing is crying foul over Cold Spring Brewery not honoring its production contract. Cold Spring says that it gave Lift Bridge plenty of warning that it was facing capacity issues while Lift Bridge says that it got extremely short notice.

As previously noted, 21st Amendment Brewery demand is through the roof, one of the primary reasons cited for what’s happening at Cold Spring.