Left Hand Collective Adds Bootstrap Brewing; Production Moves to Left Hand Facility

A Denver Post photo of large stacks of colorful cans in Bootstrap’s Longmont brewery captures the practical side of a local consolidation: Left Hand Collective has added Bootstrap Brewing to its portfolio, and the transaction will result in Bootstrap’s owners acquiring equity in the Collective’s parent company, Indian Peaks Brewing Company, Brewer Magazine and The Denver Post reported. Multiple outlets ran the announcement on February 18, 2026.

Brewer Magazine reported that Bootstrap will gradually move production to Left Hand Brewing’s state-of-the-art facility and will continue to operate their Longmont taproom with a full line-up of craft beer and music. The coverage from Brewbound/BevNET and The Denver Post reiterated the phased production move; none of the outlets provided a concrete schedule or completion date for that transfer.

Eric Wallace, Founder and CEO of Left Hand Collective, framed the deal as neighborhood-minded and strategic. “This partnership with Bootstrap is a great fit,” said Eric Wallace, Founder and CEO of Left Hand Collective, to Brewer Magazine. “We have known each other since they started in Niwot and have always had a mutually supportive business and social relationship. This transaction is a continuation of our mission to fortify our independent beverage platform that is Left Hand Collective.”

Bootstrap co-founder Leslie Kaczeus emphasized community and reach in Brewer Magazine’s coverage. “We founded Bootstrap with a mission to build a community space to bring people together for live music and great beer and have always aligned with Left Hand in that way,” said Leslie Kaczeus, co-founder of Bootstrap, to Brewer Magazine. “Giving back to the community is paramount, and I know Eric and his team will help us maintain that through our partnership. In addition, this relationship will help us grow our brand by leveraging Left Hand’s larger distribution footprint and sales and marketing team.”

Brewer Magazine noted Bootstrap’s market position: “Bootstrap Brewing is widely recognized throughout Colorado for its portfolio of India Pale Ales and maintains a strong international presence through its distributor relationships in Japan and Sweden among others.” Probrewer added that “This new addition brings the Collective's brand portfolio to seven.” Brewer Magazine listed Left Hand Brewing, Dry Dock Brewing, MPH Brewing, Present Sparkling Water, Docktails, Foundry Distilling and more as brands in the Collective.

The Denver Post placed the deal in consolidation context, noting April 2025’s Dry Dock acquisition and fundraising: “In April 2025, Left Hand absorbed Aurora’s Dry Dock Brewing in a move that was partially funded by a Wefunder public share offering and a Regulation D sale. At the time, it had raised more than $2 million in an effort to create a community of like-minded craft breweries that could stay competitive in a shrinking beer market.” The Post also reported that “Dry Dock has since closed its 20-year-old taproom in Aurora, while the Collective is planning to open a new taproom serving all of its beers in Denver’s Washington Park.”

The Denver Post cited Brewers Association figures when placing scale: “Left Hand, which was founded in 1993, was the fourth largest independently owned brewery in Colorado at that time, according to figures from the Boulder-based Brewers Association, while Dry Dock was the ninth largest. Bootstrap was the 14th.” Coverage across Brewbound/BevNET, Brewer Magazine, The Denver Post, Probrewer and BizWest ran February 18, 2026; BizWest’s write-up was behind a subscriber paywall. Financial terms, ownership percentages, workforce impacts and a firm timetable for production relocation were not disclosed in the published reports, leaving the operational details of the gradual move to Left Hand’s facility as the next item for local brewers and Longmont patrons to watch.