This is a part of a continuing series of Q&As with members of the brewing community from across the US. Brewer Magazine will share business and personal insights from Brewmasters, Head Brewers, Brewing Managers, Sales Directors, QCQA Managers and others each weekend to help you get to know each other better in the industry and learn more to better develop your own brand.
Lawson’s Finest Liquids is a B Corp brewery with a commitment to excellence, authenticity, community, sustainability and fun. The Vermont-based brewery crafts and delivers the finest and freshest beer possible to delight fans and to cultivate healthy, vibrant communities through its Social Impact Program. The SIP has raised more than $2.5 Million for important causes since 2018. Beginning as a home-based 1-barrel nanobrewery in 2008, Lawson’s Finest expanded production capacity in 2011 and 2014, growing to include distribution across 12 states. In 2018, Lawson’s Finest opened its popular destination Brewery, Taproom and Retail Store in central Vermont’s Mad River Valley town of Waitsfield. Its flagship IPA Sip of Sunshine is celebrating 10 years in 2025!
Sean Lawson, Founding Brewer, Lawson’s Finest Liquids — Waitsfield, Vermont
BREWER: What inspired you to start your brewery, and how has your original vision evolved over time?
LAWSON: A friend of mine in college at the University of Vermont introduced me to home brewing. After many years of home brewing and developing a passion for great beer, I launched Lawson’s Finest Liquids in 2008 out of a small building next to our house in Warren, Vermont. The original vision was to make the best beer possible, always ensure it’s kept cold and served fresh, and use our business as a force for good to have a positive impact on our community. Lawson’s Finest has grown over the past 17 years from a humble mom and pop operation to a widely recognized regional brand, with a destination taproom and brewery in Waitsfield, and distribution of our IPAs and other brews throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic US.
BREWER: What has been your most successful strategy for navigating challenges like rising ingredient costs or economic downturns?
LAWSON: We’ve always planned methodically for the present and the future, with a strong focus on our balance sheet and P&L statement, we built a cash reserve, we’ve attracted an amazing team of people, we’ve never comprised on the quality of your beer and our cold-supply chain commitment, and we’ve remained true to our core values — Be the Finest, Keep it Authentic, Focus on Community, Have Fun, and Take Good Care (of people and the environment). These principles have helped us successfully weather a global pandemic, a hyper competitive marketplace, and sustained gradual decline in demand and sales of craft beer.
BREWER: In the face of an evolving craft beer landscape, what significant changes have you noticed, and how has your brewery adapted to remain relevant?
LAWSON: The biggest change I’ve noticed is the proliferation of so many different types of packaged alcoholic beverages. Plus, when we started in 2008, there were only about 1,500 breweries in the US — today there’s almost 10,000! It’s increasingly difficult to get shelf space, as what’s allocated to Craft Beer has shrunk. Thankfully, our brand has such strong recognition, especially our flagship Sip of Sunshine IPA and its iconic bright yellow can. We’ve adapted by adding new chain and grocery placements that we did not have a few years ago. These placements are very difficult to get, and I’m so thankful for our amazing team and their accomplishments, and our fans (asking for our beer at stores) who’ve helped us achieve the success
BREWER: What are you sippin’ on right now from your brewery that you really enjoy?
LAWSON: Our collaborative project with Patagonia Provisions — our Kernza Lager — is delightfully refreshing with a clean finish plus it highlights regenerative agriculture using the Kernza wheat grain in our recipe. After that, I’ll have a Double Sunshine IPA! It’s our original home run beer that people started driving from all over the country to Vermont to try, first packaged in 22 oz bottles. For the 10th anniversary of Sip of Sunshine IPA (a beer inspired by Double Sunshine), we recently made a limited release of Double Sunshine to all of our 12 distribution states for the very first time! It’s going fast, but it might still be available near you (see “Find our Beer” at lawsonsfinest.com).
READ MORE: 10 Breweries Partner with Patagonia for Kernza Lager Releases
BREWER: What trends in the craft beer industry do you think are worth investing in over the next few years?
LAWSON: Continued investment in the quality of your beer is always wise. We are looking to expand our hospitality offerings as our taproom business continues to grow, even in a difficult economic environment.
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