Lawson’s Finest Liquids Mid-Year Growth Led by the Sunshine Brand Family

This B Corp Certified brewery is expanding distribution in 2024

WAITSFIELD, VT (August 15, 2024) – The purpose-driven team at Vermont’s Lawson’s Finest Liquids maintains a commitment to community, the environment, and its team, as it grows its impact across the Northeast and extends its product lineup in 2024.

With a strong velocity at retail and deepened distribution footprint across the Northeast, Lawson’s Finest growth in 2024 is led by the brewery’s flagship brand Sip of Sunshine IPA. The lupulin laden flagship has grown total sales 6.7% year-over-year and its 16 oz 4-pack has reached the #1 dollar share position in craft beer throughout the Northeast.  Additionally, the brewery reports impactful placements and increased points of distribution following the 2023 release of Sip of Sunshine in 19.2 oz cans. 

The Sunshine brand family is showing strong in-market growth, with Little Sip IPA exceeding expectations at retail following its launch in 12 oz cans in March 2024. Little Sip sales have grown more than 20% year-over-year in the first half of 2024. 

"2024 is proving to be an important year for Lawson's Finest," said Lawson’s Finest Liquids CEO Adeline Druart. "With a strong focus on our flagship Sip of Sunshine and Little Sip brand we are able to deliver growth far exceeding category rate while also increasing our reach, enhancing our community efforts, and staying true to our sustainability and quality standards. Our fans can look forward to even more as we continue to grow with purpose."

Sunshine Expansion: Reaching New Heights

In the first half of 2024, Lawson’s Finest Liquids expanded its product lineup across the brewery's nine-state sales footprint with new offerings, including taproom favorites like the sessionable Beach Party IPA (3.8% ABV) and Super Lemonova Blonde Ale. Fest Bier Lager, Nitro Stout and a new West Coast IPA will hit shelves later this year as new limited releases across Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. All Lawson’s Finest brews, including its flagship Sunshine brand family and limited releases, are Cold Stored. Cold Shipped. Cold Shelved.™ from the time they are packaged to maintain freshness and quality. 

Continued Community Support

As one of only 21 B Corp Certified breweries in the US, Lawson’s Finest is becoming a leader  for its community impacts and finest beer. Lawson’s Finest was honored by the Good Food Foundation with a Good Food Award for the second year in a row this March. 

In 2024, the brewery’s award-winning Social Impact Program (SIP) continues to serve as the foundation for the brewery’s force for good. As part of the SIP, guests are invited to donate to the Sunshine Fund, in lieu of leaving gratuity, to help local communities thrive. In 2024, the Sunshine Fund has helped support numerous organizations including Girls on the Run VT, Green Mountain Farm-to-School, Camp Exclamation Point, and more. 

The brewery also announced its total impact from the collaboration brew Vermont Strong, a collaborative flood relief brewing effort organized by Lawson’s Finest following the devastating floods across Vermont in July 2023. The brewery raised a total of $46,007 to benefit the Vermont Community Foundation. The brewery will also donate $5,000 to NOFA-VT’s Farmer Resilience Grant Program.

“Becoming a B Corp is a guiding principle used throughout our business during the decision-making process to ensure we live our core values in everything we do,” said Kelly Putnam, Lawson’s Finest’s Director of People and Purpose. “At Lawson’s Finest being a sustainable business means always working towards doing better and improving our practice.” 

Taking Care of the Team

Lawson’s Finest has a more than 90% retention rate in 2024 and its team includes 53% women and non-binary employees. The Great Place to Work initiative of Lawson’s Finest’s Social Impact Program encourages staff participation and input in a collaborative and transparent work environment. The brewery’s robust, and industry-leading, benefits package also included a month-long sabbatical program for the first time in 2024, offered to team members who have reached their five-year anniversary with the company. 

“It’s important for us to provide security to our workforce and make Lawson’s Finest Liquids a great place to work,” saidKelly Putnam, Lawson’s Finest’s Director of People and Purpose. “That means caring holistically for our employees through generous wages and benefits that focus on physical, emotional, and financial stability.”

First New Market In 5 Years 

Building on its successes, Lawson's Finest launched in North Carolina in August 2024, with plans to expand into Virginia later this year. This strategic move aims to respond to fans' demand outside of the Northeast and bring the Sunshine brand to warm southern states. As the company’s footprint continues to grow, all of Lawson’s Finest brews will continue to be Cold Stored. Cold Shipped. Cold Shelved.™ to keep every beer brewery-fresh.

"Expanding our footprint and bringing our beloved brews to more fans while ensuring a complete cold supply chain model has been a key focus for us this year" said Druart. "After 5 years since we expanded into a new state, we are thrilled to now get our finest, brewery-fresh beers in front of more fans and see such a positive response."

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ABOUT LAWSON’S FINEST LIQUIDS

Lawson’s Finest Liquids 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 Million for important causes since 2018. The brewery is a values-driven B Corp certified business with a commitment to excellence, authenticity, community, sustainability and fun. Founded by Sean and Karen Lawson, the company boasts a growing collection of award-winning beers brewed with passion and precision including the renowned Sunshine family of IPAs. 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 nine states in the Northeast. In 2018, Lawson’s Finest opened its popular destination Brewery, Taproom and Retail Store in central Vermont’s Mad River Valley town of Waitsfield. For more information on Lawson’s Finest Liquids, visit lawsonsfinest.com or follow the company on Instagram (@lawsonsfinest) and Facebook (@lawsonsfinestliquids).