March is B Corp Month, and the sustainability-minded team at Vermont’s Lawson’s Finest Liquids is celebrating their certification as one of only 18 B Corp breweries in the United States – and one of only two breweries in the great state of Vermont! B Corp Certification highlights Lawson’s Finest Liquids’ dedication to community vitality, sustainable brewing and happy employees.
What does it mean to be a B Corp? To Lawson’s Finest, it means operating their business as a force for good. The brewery was certified in 2023 according to the rigorous standards set by B Lab, the non-profit behind the B Corp certification process.
“Since our inception, we’ve been focused not only on making the finest possible beer, but on making a positive impact,” said Karen Lawson, co-owner of Lawson’s Finest Liquids. “Now that we’ve achieved B Corp Certification, we’re more motivated than ever to continue to make a difference.”
A purpose-driven company since the beginning, one of the ways Lawson’s Finest Liquids contributes to the community is through its Social Impact Program, which it lovingly refers to as the SIP. Since 2018, the SIP has donated over $2 million to local, worthwhile causes and community-building efforts, supporting over 300 nonprofit organizations committed to advancing healthy communities, food and economic security, natural resource protection, sustainable recreation, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Sustainability is also at the forefront of the brewery’s initiatives. Multiple on-campus solar installations, including the largest solar canopy in Vermont, are located at the brewery’s Waitsfield campus, offsetting 100% of the electricity used by the brewery and taproom. Lawson’s Finest also provides electric vehicle charging stations to the community, monitors and reduces resource use, including water, electricity and propane, and partners with local waste management companies to recycle brewery plastic wrap, grain bags and can metal. They pull out-of-code beer from shelves to be processed in an Anaerobic Digester to recover energy and nutrients from organic byproducts for reuse. The Lawson’s Finest team also diverts food scraps and spent grain waste through a local partnership with Gaylord Farm in Waitsfield who utilizes all of this material for animal feed.
With 80 employees, Lawson’s Finest Liquids also strives to be a great place to work. New employee benefits in 2024 include the Sipbatical, a month off of work with a $1,000 stipend, available to team members after five years of service. The Sipbatical is meant to be an opportunity for employees to rest and recharge. Additionally, Lawson’s Finest added a floating DEI holiday to its exciting benefits, giving employees an opportunity to observe a day for whatever is most important to them.
“We’re in business to do good, and doing good business allows us to amplify the amount of good we do,” said Adeline Druart, Lawson’s Finest’s CEO. “B Corp Month allows us to reflect on the progress we’re making and recommit to improvement.”
Lawson’s Finest Liquids is proud to be among this class of global community of B Corps that meet high standards of social and environmental impact.
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:
https://www.lawsonsfinest.com/