By Nick Nahas
Shaun Goechner has turned his hobby into a business that he hopes will prosper.
Bootleggers Brewworx sells supplies to make custom beer, wine, cider and mead. The new brew-on-premise feature allows customers to create their own libations at the facility. “We provide all the equipment you’ll need to mix, brew, ferment, rack, bottle or keg your finished product,” Goechner said. “We walk you through every step of the process and leave the drinking to you.”
Goechner, who builds fiber optic equipment full-time, has a love for making beer. He took a trip to Belgium to sample beer when he became dissatisfied with the domestic beers available in the U.S. He decided later that he wanted to help people create unique brews like the ones he discovered.
The brewery, which Goechner started in July of last year, is where he creates a dozen different beers that he uses for the full tap bar, along with a dozen and a half craft beers from other breweries. Located at 650 Oakfield Dr. in Brandon, the company is the only brew-on-premise facility in the area. The number one seller is their Diana Zemo’s Lushable Crush IPA, along with other favorites such as Trapezoid Belgium Triple and Ice Cream Sammich Milk Stout.
Different services that the brewery offers include instructional classes on everything from wine making to beer brewing, as well as tastings, private parties, brew-on-premise, fermentation and cellaring, and bottling and kegging. “We are hands-on,” said Goechner. “We aren’t like those other big stainless steel behemoth breweries. At Bootleggers, we brew one-barrel batches, and it’s an eyes and hands-on process.”
At Bootleggers they have live music on Fridays and Saturdays as well as retro game night on Wednesdays and karaoke night on Thursdays. They are pet- and kid-friendly, and have three TVs for special events.
According to Goechner, the ultimate goal for Bootleggers Brewworx is to expand the business to the size where they can distribute to local restaurants. “This is the most fun place in Brandon to be. If you like craft beer and wine, this is the ultimate place.”
For more information, visit their website at www.brewworx.com.
