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Our Story

The idea to open a microbrewery originated in 2005, when Bert and Christian brewed their first beer together. But the concept of brewing and enjoying beer is rooted in a family heritage that can be traced back to the Old World. It was through honoring our family’s roots, as well as our love of craft beer, that Common Roots Brewing Company was born. Since opening our taproom doors for the first time in December of 2014, we have produced a variety of beer styles that we feel will appeal to any craft beer consumer.

In March of 2019 our original brewery suffered a devastating fire. It was ruled accidental and, thankfully, no one was injured. Sadly, the building could not be saved and a complete demolition was determined to be the best path forward. Within hours of the fire, our community rallied behind us, holding countless events to support our employees and rebuilding effort. Friends in the brewing industry offered up brewing space to keep our beer flowing, and we were able to find a temporary taproom space nearby to keep our company intact.

Over the next year and a half, we designed and constructed a new facility on the site of the original building. In June 2020, we moved into our new space. The new brewery is more energy and production efficient, and is helping us meet our sustainability goals. The expanded new taproom was designed to enhance the total craft brewery experience for all our customers. The new space now boasts a full service restaurant, special event room and expanded Biergarten. We hope you’ll stop in and visit!

When Bert and Christian began envisioning a community brewery, they established some core values: healthy living, environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and inclusiveness. The Common Roots Brewing Company was founded on that ethos, and along with great beer, it was the reason the company thrived locally in South Glens Falls, as well as amongst the craft beer community at large. While a formalized nonprofit was always part of Common Roots’ master plan, it really came to life after the fire. The Weber’s vowed to repay the community, and in 2020 they founded the Common Roots Foundation, with a mission to assist the community in times of need, support community wellness, and promote environmental stewardship.

LEARN ABOUT THE COMMON ROOTS FOUNDATION

sustainability

We are excited to have been able to rebuild Common Roots with the smallest carbon footprint possible. Many of our goals and practices have remained the same, but this time around we have incorporated new technologies to minimize our environmental impact and maximize sustainability.

The roof of our brewery is outfitted with a 100,000 Kilowatt-hour solar array, which reduces our dependence on fossil fuel generated electricity by 70%.

Working together, we can shape a sustainable future of transportation. To support the goal of reducing transport’s impact on the environment, we installed a solar-powered Electric Vehicle charging station at the taproom.

Our landscape plans incorporate a variety of non-invasive plants. This reduces our water usage, eliminates the need for pesticides, and provides a much needed respite for pollinators.

Each month, we donate an average of 50,000 pounds of spent brewing grain to Gifford Farms in Gansevoort. Instead of going to a landfill, it feeds their animals and enhances their soil.

Each month, we send an average of 850 pounds of kitchen scraps and compostable brewery “trash” to the Adirondack worm farm. The natural fertilizer they produce helps gardeners, farmers and landscapers grow bountiful and disease-resistant crops, flowers and grass without chemicals.

Our brewery is equipped with solar hot water heaters that allow us to minimize our brewing footprint. We also have a heat exchanger that recycles heat waste by reclaiming it back on the brew system.

Helping keep our local economy sustainable has been a top goal since day one. We are fortunate to work closely with wonderful farms and businesses in the area to offer a rotating selection of fresh cheeses, meats and produce on our menu.

Our stormwater retention system at the taproom temporarily stores runoff in underground chambers, reducing nonpoint source pollution. Later, it is released back into the ground at a controlled rate to mitigate erosion and flooding.

meet the founders

Headshot of Christian Weber

Christian Weber

Co-Founder / Head Brewer

Christian is the son in the father/son brewing team. His beer journey began in 2005 as a home brewer in college, which led to an apprenticeship at a brewery in New Hampshire during grad school. After a few years working for an environmental nonprofit, Christian returned to his roots and opened Common Roots Brewing Company with his dad, Bert. Christian is the head brewer at CRBC and leads the creative process of recipe and product development, in addition to running the day-to-day operations of the business.

Headshot of Bert Weber

Bert Weber

Co-Founder

Bert is the father in the father/son brewing team. Growing up with parents from Germany, good beer was part of his family heritage. Upon retiring from a 30-year career as a high school teacher, Bert was ready for a new adventure. His background in horticulture and design fueled the transformation of a warehouse building into our original brewery, and the inviting atmosphere of the Biergarten and taproom are the direct products of Bert’s creative vision.

lifting the view: messages from the founders

Common Roots Albany Outpost building from the frontEvents/NewsFoundersMessagesSix Months at the Common Roots Albany Outpost: A Reflection on Transformation and Commitment
September 18, 2024

Six Months at the Common Roots Albany Outpost: A Reflection on Transformation and Commitment

It’s been six months since Common Roots Brewing Company proudly opened the doors of its Albany Outpost, located in the historic former home of the C.H. Evans Pump Station. What…
FoundersMessagesFall 2024
September 16, 2024

Fall 2024

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…
FoundersMessagesSummer 2024
June 21, 2024

Summer 2024

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…
FoundersMessagesSpring 2024
April 29, 2024

Spring 2024

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…

contact us

Director of Brewery Sales & Operations – Keith

Director of Food, Beverage & Taproom OperationsRich

Business and Human Resources ManagerMelanie

Director of Packaging & Quality ControlJohn

Creative DirectorJess

Territory Sales RepRyan


South Glens Falls Event CoordinatorChad

South Glens Falls Kitchen ManagerDustin


Albany Event Coordinator Ashlie

careers

Our dedicated staff is one of a kind, and we take pride in how fortunate we are to work with such awesome people. See our current job openings.