The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
PERMANENTLY CLOSED
Farewell to a local treasure; Good Nature Taproom says goodbye
HAMILTON, N.Y. » It’s undeniable that the COVID-19 pandemic is having major effects on businesses, residents, and everyday life.
To most, the virus is causing temporary setbacks that are expected to heal. For the Good Nature Taproom on Broad Street, the outcome is not as hopeful.
First opened seven years ago in 2013, the Taproom announced April 13 via social media that it will be closing its doors permanently. The establishment has been one of the first in the area to decide to do so.
The announcement read, “It has been a month since we’ve been open now and, with no end in sight, we sadly cannot justify the continued carrying expenses of rent, insurance, and utilities with no income coming in.”
This “heartbreaking decision” will hopefully allow the Good Nature Farm Brewery, run by the same owner, Carrie Blackmore, to better serve its patrons and bounce back after the economic turmoil seen in the
last month, the announcement stated.
The Taproom served as the foundation for the Good Nature brand and helped it become the much larger, well known Farm Brewery it is today, the announcement shared.
Over the past seven years, locals and beer lovers far and wide would gather at the Taproom, which is often referred to as “Hamilton’s living room.”
Colgate Class of 2017 alumni and former Good Nature employee, Hannah Fleckenstein, shared her response to the sad news about the beloved Hamilton bar.
“I didn’t think that the Taproom would close necessarily, but I am not blind to how much the shops and restaurants in the village rely on Colgate students for business during the semester
either,” she shared. With Colgate students gone and the rest of the village residents keeping their distance, Fleckenstein said she can only imagine how hard this time must be for businesses to stay afloat.
“I actually found out about the Taproom closing from a group message filled with Colgate alumni. They are devastated by the news,” she shared. She described the Taproom as “the go-to spot for a well crafted, lowkey beer,” and revealed that for Colgate students, the bar was a staple for a night out and creating fond memories.
The Taproom was also a popular destination for alumni events, clubs, dates, playing board games, and more. “Taproom Tuesdays,” which notoriously packed the bar with students, will certainly be missed.
The venue’s ability to
Taproom.
grow friendships is something Fleckenstein still appreciates to this day. While working at Good Nature the year after graduating, she described her experience as a Taproom employee, sharing, “It was here that I had the opportunity to meet people that lived in Hamilton. It was here that I began to feel more rooted in the village and less like an outsider.” Many of her friendships from Good Nature still stand to this day, she shared.
Through beer, music, atmosphere, and traditions, the Taproom simply had a knack of bringing people together, Fleckenstein admitted. “On multiple occasions, I walked into the Taproom by myself and found so many familiar faces sitting enjoying a pint. That was always the best feeling. That feeling was created by a commonly enjoyed social space.”
Evident in the social media response and in the network of friendships made, everyone who visited the Taproom seemed to be connected in some way, Fleckenstein explained. “Whether they worked there, know someone that works there, they drink there, or all three, Good Nature inadvertently created a network of people that goes beyond their clientele,” she said.
So far, there are nearly 100 comments on social media from patrons of the bar sharing their memories, sympathies, photographs, and well wishes, with oth
ers sharing their own personal farewell posts to commemorate the space.
Though all of the Taproom traditions, memorabilia, and beer will be going to the larger Farm Brewery venue, Fleckenstein admitted that the
Taproom was one of a kind, with no establishment like it in town.
She expressed that the Taproom was “the perfect space to gather whether it be one on one, a group, a birthday, or even a club meeting.” She praised its versatility and intimate nature.
Looking on the brighter side of things, the former employee and student hopes that “some stability and security is gained for Good Nature and it’s employees” as a result of the Taproom’s closure.
To help small businesses stay open during the COVID-19 crisis, the Hamilton Partnership for Community Development has established a Small Business Fund to “provide assistance to local businesses which are most affected by disruptions resulting from COVID-19,” according to their website. Donations can be made online and will go directly to sustaining the community’s businesses.
To support Good Nature Farm Brewery and its efforts to provide service during the pandemic, visit their online ordering platform for curbside pick-up and delivery options.