Busted for selling Spotted Cow illegally, Minnesota bar has new license & new management

MAPLE GROVE, Minnesota -- The Maple Grove, Minnesota bar that was caught selling Spotted Cow -- beer that cannot legally be sold outside Wisconsin -- has a new license, new management and restructured ownership team after a three-week hiatus on liquor sales, the Milwaukee Business Journal reports.

The Milwaukee Business Journal cited a Minneapolis Star Tribune article posted Tuesday, July 21st.

The Maple Tavern bar was busted in April, when undercover state investigators found it was selling Spotted Cow illegally. The state's Department of Public Safety was tipped off by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue after an anonymous complaint, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune says a manager bought kegs of the beer from a Hudson, Wisconsin liquor store and resold the beer at the bar -- a felony.

Undercover investigators ordered a Spotted Cow for themselves, and then found kegs in the basement, which were removed.

New Glarus beer is sold only in Wisconsin.

And, Maple Tavern isn't licensed to transport or import alcoholic beverages into the state, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports.

Following the bust, employees involved in the selling of Spotted Cow were removed, and the process began to revoke the bar's liquor license.

The bar chose not to renew its license when it expired on June 30th, the Minneapolis Star Tribune said -- and stopped selling liquor for three weeks.

A new license was issued this week, and the bar reopened under new management and with a restructured ownership team.