Lawson’s Finest Liquids Partners with New England Brewing Co. for a Festival to Benefit Diversity in Craft Beer

Waitsfield, VT. – “Early Dismissal,” Lawson’s Finest Liquids’ latest “Good Brews for a Cause'', is set to debut at the annual Change in the Air Festival on June 18th in New Haven, CT. The Good Brews for a Cause initiative donates a portion of beer sales to support non-profit organizations.  Early Dismissal, a passion fruit-infused IPA was made in collaboration with New England Brewing Company (NEBCO). The charitable donation will benefit the CT Brewers Guild African American Brewers Scholarship, a scholarship fund promoting diversity in the craft beer industry.  

As the Main-Stage sponsor of this year’s Change in the Air Festival, Lawson’s Finest Liquids is supporting the event’s mission of providing educational opportunities for aspiring black and brown craft brewers. The beer was created in partnership with NEBCO at Lawson’s Finest Liquids’ original brewery in Warren, VT. The IPA boasts a bevy of tropical flavors with a smooth finish thanks to a late addition of fresh passion fruit during fermentation. The brew will be on draft at the festival as well as the Lawson’s Finest Liquids Waitsfield Taproom, NEBCO Taproom and select Connecticut accounts including Eli Cannons in Middletown.  

“At Lawson’s Finest Liquids, our Equity, Inclusion and Diversity efforts seek to champion positive change towards a more equitable and diverse company by fostering a culture of education to grow our awareness to all biases, and help us integrate changes that allow our brand to remain accessible to all people. We’re proud to align with the Change in the Air Festival mission in supporting a welcoming and inclusive craft beer industry,” said Karen Lawson, Co-owner of Lawson’s Finest Liquids.  

“Change in the Air is all about providing economic opportunity for black and brown brewers. The craft beer industry exceeds $83 billion and represents more than half a million jobs, yet less than 5% of people of color are represented in its ranks,” explains Jamal Robinson, Director of Sales and Marketing at NEBCO. “Change in the Air brings together the craft and the culture to create new opportunities through scholarship and the event itself.” 

In 2021, Change in the Air raised nearly $10,000 for scholarships to the Brewing Science program at Sacred Heart University. The event also provides a unique forum for minority-owned businesses, musicians, artists, and others to showcase their work. The goal for this year’s festival is to raise $20,000. 

For more information on  Lawson’s Finest Liquids, including the brewery’s Good Brews for a Cause initiative with their Social Impact Program, click here. Craft beer lovers can also find their nearest Lawson’s Finest retailer here.  

For more information on the Change in the Air festival, including how to purchase tickets to the event, click here.  

ABOUT LAWSON’S FINEST LIQUIDS: 

Lawson’s Finest Liquids crafts and delivers the finest and freshest beer possible to delight our fans and to cultivate healthy, vibrant communities through our Social Impact Program. The brewery is a values-driven 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 1bbl 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, please visit the www.lawsonsfinest.com, or follow the company on Instagram (@lawsonsfinest) and Facebook (@lawsonsfinestliquids).