Lawson’s Finest Launches Collaboration in Support of Change in the Air Foundation with New England Brewing

Lawson’s Finest Liquids, the award-winning Vermont craft brewery, announces a new limited release brewed in collaboration with New England Brewing Co. Change in the Air, a Tropical Blonde Ale With Mango, will be released on draft and in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans in September, for distribution across Connecticut. All proceeds from Tropical Blonde Ale with Mango will support the Change in the Air Foundation and its mission to create a more inclusive beer industry.

A Tropical Blonde Ale With Mango, Change in the Air mixes bready malt and honey flavors with a juicy tropical twist. If a Hawaiian shirt was turned into a beer, it would be this one. Citra and Mandarina hops brighten the brew with lively tropical fruit and orange citrus notes that complement the use of mango. The colorful can artwork on the label is designed by New Haven, Conn.-based Black artist Allen Jackson, aka Dooley-O. 
The beer’s beneficiary, Change in the Air Foundation, works to make education in the brewing sciences more accessible to Black and Brown brewers. To provide a pathway to resources, New England Brewing Co. and The Connecticut Brewers guild, along with Sacred Heart University, created the CT Brewers Guild African American Brewers Scholarship. Proceeds from the beer’s sale will benefit the Change in the Air Foundation and the scholarship fund. 

“What does beer have to do with a better world?” asked Jamal Robinson, Change in the Air co-founder and director of sales and marketing at New England Brewing Co. “The beer industry is a huge economic force in the United States, yet less than 5% of craft beer professionals are people of color. Our goal is to create opportunities and increase accessibility for everyone who wants to participate in the art of brewing.”

Change in the Air Foundation also hosts a yearly beer festival filled with music, art and delicious local craft beers. A celebration of beer and black culture, the Change in the Air Festival will be held on Oct. 14 at Bear’s BBQ in New Haven. 

Similarly to how the Change in the Air Foundation and the CT Brewers Guild African American Brewers Scholarship works to create inclusion in the craft brewing industry by providing opportunities to Black and brown brewers, the Change in the Air Festival’s mission is to diversify the spaces where we enjoy craft beer.

“If we are going to diversify who is brewing, we are also going to have to diversify who is drinking craft beer, so the festival is meant to create a space for Black and brown people to experience and enjoy craft beer in a comfortable, safe setting along with everyone else,” says Robinson. 

“Our Good Brews for a Cause initiative is focused on creating special limited release beers and small-batch collaborations that raise funds for causes we care about,” said Sean Lawson, founding brewer of Lawson’s Finest Liquids. “We’re proud to partner with Jamal and New England Brewing Co. for the release of this delicious beer to raise awareness and resources for Change in the Air.” 

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