Our Friends Closed Their Brewery

I attended the last day of operations at a local brewery owned by friends a little while ago. It was a packed house with delicious beer, music and friendship. As I spoke with one of the owners, I tried to find some solace in the turnout and how proud they must feel seeing all these customers and industry friends here to say goodbye. She smiled and said, “It is nice…I just wish they would have continued to come before they heard we were closing.”

We know the craft beer business has changed over the past few years and that has not been good news for some of our friends and colleagues in the industry. Gone are the days of double-digit growth and a new brewery on every corner. I think we all honestly knew that level of growth was not sustainable, but it is still hard to see some industry friends close their doors. What is especially troubling is that many of these places were community hubs and even considered economic drivers for a town’s revitalization just a few years ago. Brewery taprooms have traditionally created hubs for the community to gather, celebrate and have good conversations. Smaller independent breweries also tended to use local ingredients, manufacturing and hiring local contractors and staff.

Brewery taprooms also have a different vibe and purpose than typical bars, restaurants and certainly, dispensaries.  Patrons would gather and enjoy sampling the unique craft and taste of products made right there. It was personal, unique to that location, and was often a source of pride for that community. To be able to say, “We have a local brewery” is still an indication of a vibrant community and one that has something special to offer visitors and residents alike.

Change can be difficult and saying goodbye is never easy but what I personally find disheartening is the loss of community and the sense of place each brewery taproom uniquely created. At Common Roots Brewing Company, we are extremely proud and cognizant of the unique experience customers have when they visit our taprooms. That said, we are not insulated from the market shifts and remain keenly aware that diversification is going to be key to our continued growth as a business.  In the coming weeks Common Roots will be launching new products alongside our traditional offerings of world class beers, ciders, coffee and of course… locally sourced, delicious fare.

While I will continue to lament the closing of our friends’ brewery, I am confident that our taprooms and event areas at Common Roots Brewing will continue to be inspiring spaces to gather for our local community members and visitors alike. The weather may be cold and news abysmal, but our taprooms will continue to be  warm and welcoming places to gather with friends and family.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,
Bert

A Season for Competence and Compassion

This fall, the Common Roots Foundation saw a dramatic increase in the number of requests we had for assistance from the many organizations that help local families with basic needs…food, clothing and other essentials. In December, with your support, the Common Roots Foundation awarded $26,000 to 11 organizations that are doing some of the work in this regard. While we are grateful for the opportunity to assist, we know the need is far greater than we can imagine and not expected to get any better in the coming months.

At Common Roots, we have always worked hard to run our company and foundation with both competence and compassion. While these two terms are not often heard in the same sentence, we believe they are descriptors that every organization should strive for. The ability to do things efficiently and successfully, and still have compassion for others, is an admirable trait for an individual, an organization, a business and, one would hope…a government. The compassion and generosity shown by our community is remarkable but also has its limitations. Local charitable organizations and businesses cannot be expected to fill all the voids caused by the recent policy changes in Washington, D.C.

In light of the current circumstances, we believe the holiday season is a good time to renew our individual efforts to support charitable organizations and local businesses that continue to create jobs and opportunities for all of us in our communities. We started Common Roots with the idea that brewing beer could also be a vehicle for positive change. Our taprooms became a place to gather and create good ideas. Here we are eleven years later and we still believe that we can facilitate good ideas and help bring that positive change. While our company’s founding principles have not changed, it has also become clear to us that the market has changed considerably in the past eleven years.

While we still brew delicious beers and new non-alcoholic options, we have increased the variety of Common Roots offerings to include our own New York State cider, house roasted specialty coffees and incredible event spaces to host gathering and celebration. In addition, in the coming months, we plan on offering new beverage options that will appeal to a variety of consumers and enhance that Common Roots Experience.

All these exciting changes were necessary to meet a new paradigm in the market and yet, through it all, we remained committed to our principles to not only adjust to changing markets but to keep our focus on lifting our community in a positive and compassionate direction. The Common Roots Foundation, with your support and investments from our Legacy partners (Boralex, The Devlin- Lake Placid), has now donated over $263,000 to local organizations. On behalf of all of us at Common Roots, we wish each of you a generous and healthy holiday season and leave just a gentle reminder that shopping local is the gift that keeps giving and another way to show you care while making a meaningful investment in our community.

Peace,
The Weber Family