Lawson’s Finest Liquids CEO and Founding Brewer Sean Lawson Talks Hopcelot

We spoke with Lawson’s Finest Liquids CEO and Founding Brewer Sean Lawson about Hopcelot.

Who was responsible for this beer’s recipe?
I created this recipe in collaboration with a local group of musicians in the Vermont-based band The Grift. The collaboration was inspired by the band’s request to create a special beer for their 15th Anniversary concert event in 2014.

What sets this beer apart from other examples within the style?
This beer stands out for the complexity of different hop flavors and aromas thanks to the combination of eight different varieties of hops from around the globe. It features a deft blend of juicy, dank, fruit-forward, resinous and tropical characteristics.

What makes this beer truly World Class?
The balance of hop intensity, low malt sweetness, snappy bitterness, light color and bountiful aroma make this beer a delectable IPA that straddles the stylistic characteristics of West Coast IPAs and hazy, juicy IPAs.

What is your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, mouthfeel, etc.)?
My favorite aspect of this beer is the story and the musical connection of the artwork and name of the beer. The inspiration for the name and artwork came from our brainstorm with The Grift. The band plays a mix of original music and covers, including a few songs from another (quite famous) Vermont band – Phish. One of these covers is Phish’s tune “Ocelot.” We hatched the idea of the Grift changing the words to “Hopcelot” in the song, and the fun just rolled from there as they broke out the altered version of the song at their 15th Anniversary concert. The artwork features their signature blue design with red circles or “doughnuts” on it – based on an outfit that Phish drummer John Fishman often wears while performing.

How popular is this beer among your faithful fans?
This beer is a very popular year-round offering at our Waitsfield taproom and brewery. Hopcelot IPA can be spotted in the wild nearly every year when we do a limited release for 1-2 months of distribution across our entire nine-state territory in the Northeast U.S. What’s really cool is seeing how Phish fans have caught onto this beer thanks to it being featured at several of the band’s Madison Square Garden (NYC) concerts over the past year.

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