Jess Mead

The coming winter season is one that I normally really look forward to. Those of you who have been receiving our newsletter and reading my Lifting the View submissions will likely understand how shocked and saddened I was personally with the results of our recent national election. Politics aside, I really struggled with how best to describe this feeling of loss and not become consumed by the negative side of this new reality. For me and other like-minded individuals, the coming winter is looking especially bleak… but not without hope.

In the 1961 novel The Winter of Our Discontent, Steinbeck’s protagonist, Ethan Hawley, repeatedly chooses his own financial gain through unethical business dealings, which eventually leads to his own moral reckoning. In a similar sense, I fear our country will likely face a reckoning of its own because of the decisions made in November.

At work, in my family, and within my community, I have the distinct honor to be surrounded by women of substance, intelligence, and integrity. To them, this election was an especially profound disappointment and one they still grapple to understand. One of those women, my wife Robin, who is always a harbinger of hope in our family, was disheartened and at a loss for words. In one of the many ways she helps others cope, she gave each of our grandchildren–when they were old enough– a ‘worry stone.’ They know that their own worry stone can help them when they are feeling anxious or scared. It can be a very soothing and comforting possession to hold when things get scary or confusing.

While I am not suggesting we all go out and get a worry stone, we do need to find a collective way to help each other find some hope in this dark time. Personally, I’ve decided I am going to recommit my time and treasure to helping individuals and organizations that are bound to be negatively impacted over the next four years. The Common Roots Foundation of course gives me tremendous purpose to this end, and I’m proud that its impact continues to grow, deepening our ability to offer support to our local community.

Those of you who read Steinbeck’s novel will remember Ethan Hawley had his moral reckoning come when he realized the negative consequences his actions had on others. So distraught was he that he contemplated taking his own life. Fortunately, he then discovered a stone in his pocket that was placed there covertly by his young daughter, Molly. He then realized his family needed him more, which gave him hope and saved his life.

Our country, marginalized groups, and especially the women in our lives really need support now. Perhaps a stone in our pocket might just be the talisman we all need to step back from this ethical abyss. In the coming months, I hope each of us will find the moral strength to do what we can to help those who are bound to be hurt in the coming years. As a reminder of that hope, put that stone in your pocket and support those organizations, businesses, and individuals that need it now more than ever. Whether it be through contributions or volunteering, each of us can play a more positive role in this still-unfolding chapter of our American story.

While we all may have different reasons to celebrate the end of summer and welcoming the fall season, I’ve noticed what seems like a new reason…neighborhood block parties! My neighborhood in Glens Falls has had several in recent weeks and they were a lot of fun. This last one was especially enjoyable because it gave me a chance to meet some of our new neighbors, many of whom had just recently moved to this area from other parts of the country and from Central America and Africa!

As a son of immigrants myself, I was especially interested in learning more about their backgrounds and why they came here. Their stories were heartwarming, especially those that came from distant lands. It made me once again appreciate the principles of why our American democracy is such a unique and magnificent experiment in the world…our diversity.

My family immigrated to the USA from Germany in 1950. I am a first generation American whose family left everything they knew in worn-torn Germany in search of a better life in America. Even though we were Germans–a recent and former foe of America–my family was welcomed and given an opportunity to succeed and become part of the national fabric.

Part of our national discourse this election season is focused on immigration and while we all agree that we need a comprehensive policy, we shouldn’t be vilifying immigrants that are seeking a better life in the USA. Let’s face it, unless you are a Native American, we all came here from distant lands. Some by choice, some by force. The one thing that we used to agree with was that it was our diversity that really created what we love to call “American Exceptionalism”.

Building walls, banning books and vilifying immigrants has never been a recipe for success. As business owners and employers, we know first-hand how hard working our immigrants are. Like all of us, they just want a better life for themselves and their families. Let’s stop the messages of hate and look for solutions that embrace our differences and build stronger communities that benefit all of us.

In the end, our neighborhood block party was a microcosm of what the American experiment should be. People from different background and beliefs working together to build a better future.

I was reminded while visiting with some friends from the Adirondack Mountain Club that as humans we need to gather and be social. This should not have been a surprise but given the circumstances of this meeting, it brought to light this basic human need. ADK Mountain Club chose the Biergarten in South Glens Falls as their first meeting post-Covid. The members, due to Covid and busy schedules, had been almost exclusively meeting in the Zoom format. I think they were pleasantly surprised not only how much more enjoyable the meeting was in person but also the productiveness of the meeting. (I think the beautiful evening, beer and food didn’t hurt!)

We all know Zoom meetings were extremely useful for many reasons, yet most of us would agree, there is something much more meaningful about the human-to-human contact that was missed…and science agrees!

First, the human brain is large for our relative size as a mammal. Most anthropologists have agreed that our large brains developed, in part, due to our need to be socially dependent animals. We need each other!  The extra brain size is because we had to develop social skills for survival and cooperative interactions. Humans could not have evolved without being socially astute animals.

It’s also been proven that social gatherings are better for our health. Covid aside, the idea of getting together with other humans is good for your health. The Blue Zone Project…which looks at contributing factors that affect one’s health and why some people in the world live to over 100 years of age, found that one of the universal contributing positive factors is the ability to have meaningful social interactions and relationships. This is especial important to us as we get older and often become more isolated.

The Burning Man Project was recently studied by some sociologists from Yale. Burning Man gatherings and others like it in the rest of world, were found to help people feel more of a connection with humanity and become more willing to help distant strangers. It is what Emile Durkheim called “collective effervescence” …a transformative experience that helps people transcend the borders of self and connect with all of humanity.

Looking at the headlines lately, I think we can agree that we could all use some more connection and empathy for what other humans on the planet are dealing with now.

That said, all of us at Common Roots perhaps innately understood that good things can happen when we gather, especially over delicious beer and food. All our spaces at Common Roots have been designed with the idea that people need a positive setting to gather and keep building that collective effervescence. (BTW…sounds like a good beer name!)

Gathering together is good for your health, makes you smarter and probably a better person! All kidding aside, we plan to keep gathering for social good and we hope you’ll consider Common Roots as a place to gather for your next event.

Cheers to Summer Gatherings!

It has been a busy time here at Common Roots with some exciting news all around. The recent historic Solar Eclipse in our region certainly added to that excitement! Through it all, we’ve welcomed lots of new faces and new places to gather with old friends and make new ones. The opening of the Albany Outpost and our new event space and Café at the Bierhall & Barrel House has kept our team very busy.

On Eclipse Day, I personally struggled with the idea of staying local or heading north to experience totality. In the end, I opted to stay home and enjoy it at our Flagship in South Glens Falls. As the time of the eclipse drew near, we had a biergarten full of friends, customers, and our amazing staff listening to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and looking skyward. It was at that moment I knew I made the right decision. I was where I was supposed to be…and I was grateful! Any possible FOMO had vanished because I was thankful to be there in the company of so many good people.

As I was thinking about this edition of Lifting the View, I came across a quote from Ann Voskamp, a Canadian author, that seemed apropos. I wanted to find a message that could capture the importance of being in that moment because I really believe it made a difference:

No amount of regret changes the past.
No amount of anxiety changes the future.
But any amount of gratitude changes the present.

I think this also says a lot about how we feel at Common Roots. Our journey both as a business and as a Foundation has certainly come with challenges and a certain amount of anxiety. Through it all, we’ve always seemed to find a reason to be positive and present in the moment. In fact, the one thing I feel that has always been our strength is the ability to appreciate the good things that are always present around us. Inevitably, that good is often found in the people we work with every day!

In that spirit, we would like to take this time to recognize and thank the incredible people that make up the human resource here in our company and in our Foundation. We wouldn’t be here without them, and for that we are eternally grateful.

THANK YOU ALL!

This past December I was returning home from a local holiday concert when I heard the news that our neighbor and friend had passed away. He had just celebrated his 90th birthday the previous week and we made plans to get coffee together at our new Café at Common Roots. Kendall was a good man who had a long and fascinating life. He loved to hear about the brewery and wanted very much to see the new space we had created there. Sadly, I missed that opportunity to grab that coffee with him and hear more of his stories.

In the weeks since his passing, I’ve looked out at his house across the street from us and still feel a bit of sadness. It was somehow always comforting to know Kendall was there. The house itself is a solid structure but looks a bit tired and Kendall, while he was very comfortable there, didn’t feel the need to update things. He loved having visitors, especially if you brought your dog. As I look out at that home across the street, I wonder who will live there next. Will it be a young family? How will they change the house? Whoever the future owners are, I know I will always think of Kendall being there. I hope it’s a family with a dog…Kendall would like that.

This past autumn, CRBC began the lengthy process of acquiring the C.H. Evans Brewing Company at the Albany Pump Station. As most people know, Neil Evans, the owner, had become ill and he and his family made the difficult decision to sell the business to another family brewery, Common Roots. In the weeks since the sale was announced, we have been working extremely hard to breathe some new life into the old structure. We loved this old building and what the Evans’ family did to convert it into a brewery and restaurant, but it was ready for some serious updates.

As we’ve gone through this process, we’ve tried to be sensitive to the incredible history of the previous owner while bringing our unique brand and company ethos to this historic structure. As we’ve been doing this renovation, I can’t help but wonder what our new neighbors in Albany are thinking. Since Neil’s passing in June and the shutting down of operations last Fall, I can imagine a lot of people are wondering what will happen to the old Pump Station. What will the new owners be like, and what will they do in the future?

As we all soon gather in this new space, I can imagine that Neil would be happy knowing the building he initially transformed will once again be a place to gather and celebrate. As old friends and neighbors leave us, it’s nice to honor their memory by re-imagining and transforming their space into something new and welcoming again.

In the next few weeks, we are very hopeful that the renovations will be completed, and we can open the doors and welcome everyone back into this beautiful space. The new business is now called Common Roots Brewing Company – Albany Outpost. We are extremely pleased with how it has been transformed and cannot wait to share it with everyone!

While we still have some work to do, it cannot be overstated how excited we are to be in downtown Albany. All of us here at the Common Roots family are looking forward to becoming part of the new revitalized downtown scene. Cheers to old friends and the opportunity and privilege to make new ones here in 2024.

On behalf of all of us in the Common Roots Family, we wish everyone a healthy, prosperous, and more peaceful New Year!

Bert

A few weeks ago, we hosted a ribbon cutting event at our newest facility here in South Glens Falls, the Common Roots Bierhall & Barrel House. We had the honor to host several local dignitaries with a special appearance by the Lt. Governor of New York, Antonio Delgado. This was his second time visiting us at Common Roots and we were thrilled he was able to stop in with greetings and congratulations on our newest venture.

While it was heartwarming to listen to each speakers’ remarks, especially Christian as he spoke with such fondness of his grandparents and our incredible staff (proud Dad here!), it was the Lt. Governor’s remarks that struck a profound chord with me. After listening to Christian’s talk that morning, the Lt. Governor said that it occurred to him that “humanity is that common root that binds us all together.”

He went on to comment that CRBC and our Foundation were unusual examples of how a business could keep humanity in the equation of their decision-making process.

After hearing his comments, I admittedly had a lump in my throat. Our name “Common Roots” is very much based on this principle and yet we’ve never heard someone make that connection so eloquently in public. Humanity is one of those words that has even more meaning during the holiday season. The word itself may have different meaning to some but in this context, I would define it as the ability to be caring and wanting the best for others. Some may define humanity as simply being human… but that is too sterile a definition for me. As we’ve seen all too frequently, our inhumanity to one another is already well documented and sadly demands too many of the headlines in our daily news.

“Humanity is that common root that binds us all together.”

~ Antonio Delgado

On a brighter note, it is refreshing to welcome this time of year! Many of us tend to open our hearts and wallets more during the Holidays. Perhaps it is a natural reaction to the season’s message of peace or the change in the weather that triggers this response in us. Whatever the reason or cause, having more empathy and understanding of the plight of people less fortunate or in need is a good human trait worth highlighting. I think we can all agree, we could all use some more humanity in the world right now.

As we enter this season of longer nights and colder temperatures, we hope you’ll join us in shining more of a light on the humanity we see everyday in our community. With your support, our foundation and our company will continue to collaborate with other local organization to help bring a little more comfort, healing, and warmth to our part of the world.

Peace,
The Weber Family

The word acceptance has a nice sound to it. Accepted by friends when you were a child, accepted into college as a young adult or accepting a new job…are all positive experiences for us. Typically, with the act of acceptance comes the idea of change and that can be difficult for some of us.

Aging, and I can speak to this now with some experience, is another difficult adjustment for some but not one that is unexpected. Living a longer life will have its challenges but it still beats the alternative! I consider myself an active, healthy senior and this provides the opportunity to still be involved and contribute to my community. I feel very fortunate in that respect.

The changing of the seasons is another natural occurrence that some of us accept with optimism and others with dread. As a child, I dreaded the end of summer because it meant a return to school with the nuns at St. Theresa’s whom, let’s just say, I had developed a difficult relationship with. As a teacher, I still dreaded the end of summer, but for different reasons. Summer was a time to be with family, travel and often do a different job. I loved my teaching career, but the summer was special for many reasons and its passing was not always easy to accept.

The summer of 2023 was different. The changes to the climate that the scientists have been warning about since the 70’s came to fruition both locally and abroad. Record breaking heat waves, storms, flooding, drought, and wildfires were daily headlines and sure signs of a planet in trouble. The Canadian wildfire smoke this past summer hit me especially hard because it gave me an eerie and foreboding glimpse into how the future will likely look. We were told to stay indoors and refrain from certain activities and exercise! Is this a change we should be willing to accept as just a natural occurrence or is it just price we pay for ignoring science? Both are correct.

The climate crisis the world experienced this summer is a natural occurrence because we’ve ignored the science. That is a fact. The challenge for many of us now is whether we want to accept this climate change as the new reality or make the changes that are necessary to bring the planet back into a natural, healthy cycle.

We Americans, who have the largest carbon footprint on the globe, also have a unique opportunity to lead the world back from a future we will not want to accept. That said, to lead we must accept the science and be willing to make the changes necessary. That starts by agreeing that the Climate Crisis is a major threat. A PEW research survey from last March indicates that Americans rank the climate crisis as only 17 th out of 21 major issues that the government should act on.

What can we do? This version of Lifting the View is our contribution to keep the Climate Crisis on the forefront of what we hope is a new national discourse on climate. We’ve seen a glimpse of what a climate in crisis looks like this past summer and that is a future we shouldn’t accept. We all have reasons for acting on a problem and I’ve included a photo of one of my “reasons.”

We can change the conversation and keep the focus on solving this crisis. I hope you’ll join us.

I’ve been to quite a few celebrations this spring. Some have been milestone birthdays and others have been celebrations of life…each looking back at a friend or family member’s life. These have been important remembrances and often emotional events for family and friends to share. I’ve left many of these occasions thinking about that person and concluding, “well, that was a life well lived.” What is a life well lived? What stories do we want others to remember about us when we’re gone are questions to consider. I suppose the answer could be dependent on each person’s hopes and expectations and the length of time we are given to tell that story. That said, life will teach us, the time will pass no matter what we do, and we should make the most of each day’s gift.

A person’s individual story is influenced by family and the reverse is also true. As you’ve likely heard, Common Roots Brewing Company has agreed to purchase the CH Evans and Sons Brewing Company at the Albany Pump Station. This opportunity came to us due to life circumstances that have become difficult for the Evans’ family. Neil Evans, the owner, and industry icon is struggling with a serious illness and had to make the hard decision to sell the business.

As part of this agreement, we will continue to brew some of the CH Evans’ famous beers into the future under the Common Roots brand and carry on the incredible story of one of New York’s most historic brands. It is an honor to do so, and we are hopeful this agreement has brought some peace of mind to the Evans Family and assurance that their story will continue to be written into the future. On a positive note, during this process we have become friends with the Evans family and have learned a great deal about the history that they are so rightfully proud of.

In retrospect, this has many of the elements of a good lesson for each of us to consider. What is the story we want people to know about us? Every day we have an opportunity to tell a new story through our family, our work, our actions, and the causes we support. The Common Roots Foundation, through the generosity of our members and supporters, has now awarded over $75K in grants and awards to support local organizations in the important work they are doing. All of us at Common Roots Brewing and the Common Roots Foundation, are extremely proud of this work and are grateful for this opportunity to continue tell our story in this community and beyond.

As you ponder what your individual story will be, we hope you will consider making the Common Roots Foundation part of that narrative. Together we’ve already had a positive impact on the lives of many people in our community. Lifting people into better circumstances is a good story and the more people that join us, the better it gets.

“Expect good things to happen” has become a popular mantra here with the Weber Clan and one which allows us to keep a positive outlook on many of the uncertainties that life can present. Over the last few years, our Brewery and Foundation have certainly faced some challenges and somehow through it all, we expected something good to come from it. That said, we understood this expectation was not based on the idea that there won’t be work or to suggest a reliance on blind faith that everything will turn out. On the contrary, this phrase is really intended to be more of a rallying statement. Something that still requires a thoughtful process to consider the facts, formulate a plan and envision a positive outcome.

I will also note that coinciding with this mantra is a belief that having a strong visual in one’s mind of what that success will look like is critical to this process. Not having a strong vision for what you want is like starting a trip without an idea where you are going. Taken a step further… if you don’t know where you’re going…how will you know when you arrive? This expectation of good must have a strong idea of what that “good” will look like and what steps must be taken to get there.

At both the Foundation and Common Roots Brewery Company, we have a strong vision of where we want to be as an organization and a business…both now and in the future. Some of the real work comes in recruiting the right people and having them join us in creating that vision for a better outcome. Fortunately for us, we have recruited incredible staff and board members that not only understand the vision, but they also help us achieve it every day.

As we embrace the spring season with a renewed hope and excitement for the coming warmer months, all of us at Common Roots would like to recruit more people to share in the vision of a more sustainable future. Climate change continues to be the over-riding challenge of our generation. Solving it will require an unprecedented level of global cooperation and can certainly be overwhelming to think about, especially when the solutions seem so distant and beyond our control.

That said, wouldn’t it be nice to all start imagining a world that is less dependent on fossil fuels and more sustainable right here in our community!? The strides that have been made in renewable energy, electric vehicles and recycling have been impressive but won’t be enough to reverse global warming. One of the more frustrating hurdles in addressing the climate crisis is that far too many policy makers don’t believe the science or believe it is too late to do anything. We shouldn’t accept that vision for our children and the planet we leave them.

Here’s five things we can all do right now to help reverse climate change and be part of the solution:

1. Contact your elected officials and demand they support climate initiatives. Support only those that have a proven record on this issue.
2. Reduce the amount of energy you consume in your home, business, and in travel.
3. Recycle and reduce the amount of waste and plastic in our homes, businesses, and communities.
4. Support organizations that are actively solving environmental justice issues on a local, national, and global scale.
5. Speak up and join organizations that are doing this work and volunteer whenever you can.

Expecting good things to happen for our planet is a mantra that we can all support and join in as a shared vision for the next generation. Let’s all do our share and start that vision today.