Last Call for Miller Lite in Rosemount? MillerCoors Becomes Casualty of Shutdown

Thanks to the state shutdown, in a matter of days, the Silver Bullet may not be allowed to make any more beer runs to Rosemount’s bars, restaurants and liquor stores.

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, according to Doug Neville, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety which over sees liquor regulation.

"It's been the big question of the day: [will they or won't they make us remove it from the shelves?]," Jeanne Lind, a Shenanigan's Fine Wines and Spirits employee said. "A couple distributors have been in [our store] today and said a special session is going on right now about this at the Capitol."

"If nothing gets resolved, MillerCoors products will have to be pulled from our shelves immediately," Lind said.

Even though Lind said she believes many people would just buy another brand of beer, she did say it could impact their sales.

"Some customers have been talking about going over the border to Wisconsin to buy their [MillerCoors products]," she said.

But it's been helping their business, as well as Rosemount Liquors' business, today.

"We have had a lot of people stocking up on MillerCoors products, spending $90-$110 on beer," Lind said. "Blue Moon has been flying off the shelves."

"People have been stocking up on Miller products thinking it won't be around for awhile," Becky Johnson, a Rosemount Liquors employee, said. "[Otherwise], it's been business as usual for us."

According to the Star Tribune report, a MillerCoors spokesman said they are working with state officials to fix the problem.

“Right now we are exploring all options that are available to us," MillerCoors spokesman Julian Green said in the report. "We are currently in discussions and hoping that we can get a resolution with the state, with the agency that enforces the sale ... of alcohol."

Green acknowledged that Minnesota is one of MillerCoors largest markets in the country.

Green said the company even sent in a new check, which he told the Star Tribune that the state received on June 27. But the company received a letter a few days later saying their brand licenses had expired.

The report also said Anheuser-Busch will face a similar problem if the shutdown extends to October.

The MillerCoors 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