Common Bond Brewery, located in the old Lowe’s Auto Body Shop on Bibb St in Montgomery, AL, is striving to be the #1 craft beer in the state of Alabama.
Andrew McNally
Before moving to Alabama, he was home-brewing his beers in his own Delaware garage. When he moved to the great state of Alabama, laws were in place prohibiting the home production of beer, so he had to put his talents on a short hiatus. When the state finally did legalize it, Andrew didn’t squander his moment. He entered a local home-brew competition hosted in Birmingham, AL, and won. He knew he could craft delicious beer, so he pursued his new life dream of opening a brewery.
Andrew began interning at different big-name brewing companies to learn the large-scale production process, write business plans, and how to own and operate a large-scale operation. He interned at Railyard, and Blackstone Brewery in Nashville, and even leaned on his contacts at Dogfish Brewing Company for advice and tips. In an interview with McNally, he says, “I did all of this in an effort to be able to create something the people of Alabama and my family could be proud of.” One of McNally’s fondest memories is with his son in the grocery store. As they were walking down the beer aisle, his son recognized his dad’s beer and lit up. “Dad! That’s your beer!” he said. That was a cool moment for McNally as he saw his hand-packaged beer among the industry giants of Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, and Coors Light.
Common Bond Brewing Company
The name Common Bond carries significant importance to McNally and the goals he hopes to achieve with his beer. Firstly, he thought it was kind of funny to incorporate his chemistry background and reference the bonds that are created by changing grain to beer, creating a “sweet, sweet yummy elixir”. The other importance of the name is derived from his love of the history of Montgomery and the steps it has taken to grow. He wants his beer to symbolize the importance of coming together and being able to focus on the things we all have in common, as opposed to the things we may all disagree about. He wants his beer to be a connector, a way for people to sit down and share a “Common Bond”, their love of beer.
Despite being from Delaware, McNally has grown a love for Alabama that can be compared to someone who has lived there for their entire life. He knows the good and bad history of the city and he thought their location should also reflect all that he’s learned. Common Bond Brewing is located at 424 Bibb St. in Montgomery. The building where they are located was previously Lowe’s Auto Body Shop about a decade before. “He could fix anything from a tractor to a lawnmower,” McNally says. But before then, this site was home to a stable house for stagecoaches coming into the city. This location was there when the lightning lines were installed, and the first cable cars were being operated in the city. Today, you can still see the character and history this location represents. McNally says, “I love that when I walk in every morning, I feel like I’m standing in the bottom of a barrel.”
Flagship Beers
With McNally’s humble beginnings, he brought with him his original recipes for 4 beers: Zelda Blonde, Single Bond IPA, Crema Stout, and Ramber. These are the flagship beers that you will always find on tap in their taproom. They practice each flavor before they release it utilizing a small batch system. They test and test until they are confident that their patrons will love it. McNally is constantly learning new styles and new flavors of beer. At the time of this article, they currently have a “Tiger’s and Bear’s” IPA which is based on the Auburn v Cal game in collaboration with a Berkely brewing company. From them, McNally learned the West Coast style of craft beer and what makes it different.
A personal and fan favorite, Zelda Blonde represents even more history for the great city of Montgomery. Zelda is based on Zelda Fitzgerald, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s wife. Zelda was a Montgomery native and a talented novelist and painter. She is said to be a partial inspiration for Daisy Buchanan, the female love interest of in The Great Gatsby. McNally says that he full-heartedly believes Zelda would have loved having an alcoholic beverage named after her, being she is, “the most famous blonde of Montgomery.”
New Trends in the Beer Industry
During our interview, McNally expressed his deep appreciation for the community around him and the opportunity he has been given to provide craft beer to them. However, he is not oblivious to the changing trends of the world. “In the industry, the general beer consumption has gone down tremendously with the new generation turning 21, and the older generation not drinking as much beer as before,” McNally states. The new generation of drinkers has been more keen on buying seltzers such as High Noon and White Claw. They are socially branded to be better than beer due to their fruity flavors and absence of yeast.
This shift in demographic has put many other breweries all over the country out of business, and he is aiming to stay out of that category. They are working to make sure no one feels alienated from their brand because of their alcoholic drink choice. They are constantly working to develop new flavors that anyone and everyone can enjoy.
The number of breweries has dropped tremendously over the years. According to the Brewers Association, 418 craft breweries closed in 2023, beating the old record of 319 set the previous year. McNally says that he is looking at ways to stay relevant to the people of Montgomery and the whole state of Alabama. He is balancing how to improve his beer all the while efficiently running a tap room that people can come and enjoy. He is changing with the times, and he loves the new challenges and opportunities to bring in the new generation to the world of craft beer. An exciting upcoming flavor is their Winter IPA with ‘tis the season flavors. It will be available as we near the holidays.
Community
Community is very important to Common Bond, and they like to give back and support in any way that they can. Common Bond Brewery hosts different events throughout the year that are worth checking out. Most recently they had the Pints for Polio event where they partnered with the Montgomery Rotary Club to raise money for the fight against Polio. They also hosted a Pints for Pets with the Montgomery Humane Society, allowing people to come pet and visit with pups and kittens to hopefully take one home with them.
McNally’s 5-year plan is based on the relationships he has built in the city of Montgomery and the work he does to give back to it. He stated, “I want us to be viewed by the Montgomery community as THEIR beer and to be able to put their stamp of approval on us.” He wants his beer to represent the idea of unity and the ability to focus on what people have in common, their love for craft beer.
