LONGMONT – We all know that the Centennial State is renowned for its music scene and delicious beer. Given the abundance of craft breweries, I questioned what made Bootstrap more special than the other million Colorado breweries. 

This is what I learned: After numerous mergers and acquisitions in his tech job, Steve Kaczeus contemplated turning his long-time hobby into a business. With support from Leslie Kaczeus, he signed up for brewing school and began a journey of discovery to see if the beer industry was as cool as he thought it was.  

After taking a leap of faith and using their life savings to start a small brewery in a 1,200 square-foot pole barn in Niwot, they quickly outgrew the facility and moved their production to their current 15,000 square foot facility.

Leslie and Steve Kaczeus own and operate Bootstrap Brewery, using real fruit in fruit beers and “the highest quality ingredients to create layers of flavors and aromas.” All of their beers are gluten-reduced to less than 10 parts per million. 

Each spring, a new canned beer is released and added to Bootstrap’s core collection. In addition to their canned beer—whose labels are designed to tell different stories, including some about pets and cowbells—the taproom features many beers that aren’t packaged. 

What intrigued me most about Bootstrap was the pairing between the beer and music. “We believe water and yeast respond positively to great music, which is why we keep the music on 24/7,” Leslie Kaczeus declared. Beer enthusiasts can also enjoy their beer with live music in the taproom throughout the year. 

In addition to providing Colorado-made craft beer, Bootstrap hosts local food trucks and is always looking for “super fun food trucks traveling through Colorado that may want to make us a pit stop.”

Philanthropy is a core value at Bootstrap. They give back to the community in many ways, supporting first responders and veterans as well as animal and conservation agencies. Other ways include collaborating with breweries. 

This year, the Kaczeuses are donating one percent of the sale profits of their newest canned beer, Double Lush Puppy, to organizations focused on fostering, housing, and rehoming pups through their “Drink Beer-Save Pups” program.

Steve Kaczeus says, “It was, absolutely, the best decision and has been an incredibly fun journey as well.”

Bootstrap beer can be found in stores, bars, and restaurants all over our state and in parts of Wyoming and Utah. In 2024, Bootstrap started exporting its beer to Sweden, the Netherlands, Aruba, Singapore, and Japan.

Bootstrap Brewing isn’t just about beer. Leslie and Steve Kaczeus are living proof that with hard work and passion, dreams do come true. And those dreams benefit an entire community. 

Bootstrap Brewing is at 142 Pratt Street, Longmont. You can find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BootstrapBrewing or call 720-438-8488.