Spotted Cow beer sold illegally at bar in Maple Grove, Minn.
A popular bar in Maple Grove, Minn. was caught selling "Spotted Cow" beer on Monday, which is only legal in Wisconsin. All brews made by the New Glarus Brewing Company are only distributed in Wisconsin due to limited supply.
After receiving an anonymous tip, undercover police traveled to Maple Tavern where they were served a glass of the Wisconsin-only beer.
Investigators also saw images of a Spotted Cow tap handle on Maple Tavern's Facebook page, and advertising indicating that the beer was available.
Since New Glarus Brewing Company is not a licensed manufacturer of alcohol in Minnesota, there are no licensed Minnesota distributors who are authorized to legally distribute the beer to retail establishments.
"Sorry about the limited distribution, non-Wisconsinites, there are only so many hours in the day to make beer and we can only keep up with the local demand," the company says on its website.
David Lantos, a manager at Maple Tavern, had purchased Spotted Cow kegs for retail sale from Historic Casanova Liquor Store in Hudson, Wis. "Lantos is not licensed to transport or import alcoholic beverages into Minnesota for the purpose of resale," court documents said.
According to AGED (Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division) investigators, the info regarding limited distribution of New Glarus beer is "well known and common knowledge in the alcoholic beverage industry."