MN Shutdown: If MillerCoors Supply Runs Dry, Big Problem for Local Bartenders, Liquor Stores

 Mendota Heights-area happy hours and beer runs could now feel the hurt of a Minnesota government shutdown.

That’s right, MillerCoors and almost 40 of their products could be pulled from store coolers and taps because the company did not get their brand registration updated before the shutdown.

“That would be a big problem,” said Dawn Volkert of the Mendota VFW, which just got a delivery from their distributor today. “We use a lot of the Miller products and Coors Light. That would be sad.”

Volkert estimated that Coors and Miller brands make up at least half of what they sell.

According to a report in the Star Tribune, MillerCoors, the company that brews and distributes products like Coors Light, Miller Lite and Blue Moon, failed to renew their brand label registration with the state before the shutdown began. That could mean businesses will have to pull the product from their shelves.

A MillerCoors spokesperson told the Star Tribune that the company is fighting the decision.

Over at the Wine Market in Mendota Heights, where sales of domestic beers make up a small percentage of sales, the news hasn’t made any waves. “No one’s even talked about it today,” said Proprietor Patti Judalena. “It could be (a boost), in a reverse effect.”

Bill Miller, owner of Sunfish Cellars in Lilydale, is expecting a beer delivery tomorrow. “We’ll find out tomorrow,” he said.

While he estimates he has enough supply of MillerCoors products to last about a month, if the brands had to be pulled from the shelves, “That would be bad. … In the summertime, (beer) can go up to almost half our sales.”

He said those beer sales are split evenly between domestic and premium brands.

Information for businesses like Miller’s has been scarce. Most of their contact is with distributors, rather than MillerCoors directly. “I don’t think a lot of them, being the distributor, know what’s happening,” said Miller.

The brands affected:

Blue Moon Pale Moon Belgian Style Pale Ale, Coors Banquet, Coors Light, Coors Light 3.2, Foster’s Lager Beer, Foster’s Premium Ale, Grolsch Amber Ale, Grolsch Blonde Lager, Grolsch Light Lager, Grolsch Premium Lager, Hamm’s, Hamm’s Genuine Draft Style, Hamm’s Special Light, Henry Weinhard’s Dark, Henry Weinhard’s Hefeweizen, Henry Weinhard’s Pale Ale, Henry Weinhard’s Private Reserve, Icehouse Beer, Keystone Light Beer 3.2, Killians Irish Red 3.2, MGD Light 64, Mickey’s Ice Ale, Mickey’s Malt Liquor, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller High Life 12/16 oz can, Miller High Life Ice, Miller High Life Light 12 oz can, Miller Lite 3.2%, Miller Lite Beer, Milwaukee’s Best #1 , Milwaukee’s Best Ice, Milwaukee’s Best Light #1 3.2, Molson Canadian, Molson Canadian Light, Molson Golden, Molson Ice, Molson XXX, Olde English 800 Malt Liquor, Sparks Light.