Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Ben Westcott, Chronicle Staff Writer
A ribbon cutting ceremony Monday marked the grand opening of Common Roots Brewing Company’s new $3.6 million, 10,000 square foot expansion next door to its original facility in South Glens Falls, at 62 Saratoga Ave.
The expansion consists of Common Roots Bierhall and Barrel House, which will be home to the Common Roots Café. It includes a new barrel aged beer production facility, increased storage capacity and a 200-person, four-season event space and beer garden.
The event also featured a guided tour of the new facility and tastings of the estate-roasted Common Roots Coffee.
Common Roots, founded by the son and father team of Christian and Bert Weber, began operations in 2014.
The company has expanded distribution into seven states, but not without adversity. A fire destroyed Common Roots’ original building in 2019, so the Webers had to rebuild, reopening in 2020.
Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado spoke at the ribbon cutting. He said, “It was this community that rallied around Common Roots, raising money and doing fundraisers. Other breweries stepped up to support as well. And they came back stronger.” He noted that the new brewery is more energy and production efficient.
Mr. Delgado said, “Since Common Roots opened nearly a decade ago, it has been at the forefront of trying to provide jobs and economic opportunity for the community, and it did so even through some really tough times.”
To support the new expansion, Empire State Development awarded Common Roots a $250,000 capital grant and up to $200,000 in Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits, recommended by the Capital Region Economic Development Council.
Common Roots president Christian Weber said, “Today is truly a testament to what we can achieve when the public and private sector come together with one common goal. This is a project of collaboration.”
Some good came out of the 2019 fire. While a formalized nonprofit was always part of the Webers’ master plan, it came to life after the fire. In 2020 they founded the Common Roots Foundation with the mission to assist the community in times of need, support community wellness, and promote environmental stewardship.
State Assemblymember Carrie Woerner, after gifting Mr. Weber some flowers at the ribbon cutting, told the crowd that “Common Roots is without a doubt the most extraordinary example of good corporate citizenship that I’ve ever seen. You use all of the tools and resources at your disposal to strengthen and build the community, and that is an amazing example for you to set for other businesses.”
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