Sean Lawson: Lawson's Finest Liquids
Sean and his wife, Karen, have created a beer-lover’s paradise in the heart of the Mad River Valley where they have lived, worked, and played for more than 20 years.
Who would dream of putting exceptional beer into Crayola-colored cans labeled with endearing names and adorable caricatures? Sean Lawson, of course, Vermont’s beloved environmentalist brewer whose demeanor mirrors the liquid sunshine that pours from those bright cans. Sean and his wife, Karen, have created a beer-lover’s paradise in the heart of the Mad River Valley where they have lived, worked, and played for more than 20 years. The busy brewer kindly agreed to reflect on his passion for the environment, philanthropy, and cooking. Oh yeah. Beer too.
So what drew you to the Green Mountains from New Jersey?
Sean Lawson: My uncle, Robert Lawson, was a professor at UVM for 45 years, and my grandmother had a house on Lake Morey so I got hooked on Vermont early through family visits.
You earned your degree in environmental studies from UVM in 1992. What did you envision as a career path?
SL: I was going to save the world! It was very clear back in the 1980s that climate change was real and that humans were having a threatening impact on our environment. I wanted to be a part of the solution. My focus was on forest health. After college, I worked on forest health research programs in Vermont and out West. But I really missed the rain and the greenery, and especially the people in Vermont, so I came back home for good. I worked for a few years with the Vermont Monitoring Cooperative, a project of the U.S. Forest Service, the state of Vermont, and UVM. We collected multidisciplinary long-term data to monitor overall forest ecosystem health.
How did you transition into becoming a naturalist?
SL: After all that research work, I became more interested in outdoor education because I missed working with people. I got a job as a naturalist with the Vermont state parks and discovered I loved observing and interpreting the natural world. My job was to help open people’s eyes to the basic wonders that surround us that we can miss if we don’t know what we’re looking at, like a beech tree with bear claw marks or animal prints in the winter snow. I also worked with Sue Morse at Keeping Track in Jericho doing citizen science wildlife habitat tracking. We trained community members to collect and monitor tracks and sign over time, and that data would inform local planning processes about areas of potential wildlife conservation or management.
And your work at Mad River Glen?
SL: I started the Naturalist Program at Mad River Glen in 1995 where I led guided snowshoe tours. I’m still doing it, 25 years later!
We should probably talk about your path to beer.
SL: I was a young budding tree hugger at UVM in 1990, and a friend introduced me to his home-brewed beer. That’s where I got the brewing bug and fell in love with the process and art of making beer. I kept home-brewing after college and worked at a couple of breweries between jobs. I read a lot, talked with brewers, did tours. Over time, my home-brewing prowess improved, and people encouraged me to consider opening a brewery.
And much to the delight of the good citizens of Vermont, you launched Lawson’s Finest!
SL: Fifteen years out of college, in 2007, my friends and I put up a little outbuilding next to my house for the brewery. In March 2008, I started it as basically a proof of concept. I kept my day job with the Vermont Monitoring Cooperative group and brewed at nights and on weekends. I would bottle and deliver it to the Warren Store, The Pitcher Inn, and on draft to American Flatbread in Waitsfield. Things snowballed and took off from there.
It’s crazy to think how the craft beer scene has exploded since the mid-2000s.
SL: There’s so much great beer being made today! Thankfully, it was a little easier to get attention back then. When I started, there were roughly 1,500 breweries in the United States. That number has risen to almost 9,000 today.
What accounts for that growth, especially here in Vermont?
SL: I think it’s a confluence of a multitude of factors. First, people are looking for more flavorful beers. Then there’s an interest in locally made products—knowing the story of those products and the makers—and supporting local businesses.
What are some joys for you as brewer?
SL: Bringing smiles into the world. Having our beer be part of people’s memorable moments or pivotal events.
Hardest thing you’ve done business-wise?
SL: Getting together the money, then planning, permitting, building, and opening our new production brewery, taproom, and retail store here in Waitsfield in the fall of 2018. I thought that was monumentally stressful—until we had to navigate our way through the past 18 months of the pandemic.
You and Karen have been partners in life and in business from the start. What’s Karen’s role?
SL: She’s Chief Creative Officer and steward of the Lawson’s Finest brand, maintaining its look and feel in any new endeavor. She and I created all the original branding you see today. Then we got smart enough to hire people who actually knew what they were doing! But her primary focus now is on the Social Impact Program, or The SIP.
I admire your deep commitment to philanthropy. Explain The SIP.
SL: Lawson’s Finest is a socially responsible business driven by our core values: excellence, authenticity, community, innovation, and fun. We formally established The SIP in 2018 although we had been formulating the concepts for quite a while. The SIP encompasses six areas of focus, all geared to support nonprofits and to foster thriving communities. In 2020, we donated more than $300,000 to 77 organizations throughout Vermont, ranging from the Vermont Peace and Justice Center, Central Vermont Habitat for Humanity, and Shift Meals to the Kingdom Trails Association and the Pink Boots Society, an organization that advocates for and educates women in the brewing industry. The Sunshine Fund, the most visible program, is funded by customers’ donations at the Tap Room in lieu of tips. Those funds go directly to support local nonprofits. We’re able to harness the generosity of our guests without impacting our staff because they earn livable wages that don’t require supplemental tips.
The Super Sessions, another SIP, provide small grants to groups that bring people together to play and innovate and do something positive for their community. With Good Brews for a Cause, our brewers create special limited-release beers or small collaborative batches specifically designed to raise funds for causes we care about.
Our charitable giving is focused on Vermont nonprofits at this point, but we’re aiming to expand beyond our state because that’s a huge part of our market. We’re really proud of this SIP program; you can find more information about The SIP on our website.
Solar panels atop the roof of Lawson's Finest Waitsfi eld brewery and taproom, part of their commitment to energy efficiency
As a lifelong environmentalist, you take sustainability seriously. What steps have you implemented to reduce Lawson’s impact?
SL: Sustainability is the cornerstone of our Green Is Grand SIP initiative. I could talk about this forever, but suffice it to say, we’ve made these facilities as energy efficient as possible. We’re reducing our waste production and minimizing our consumption of resources through our packaging materials. We built our own wastewater treatment facility, and any solid brewing wastes go to a methane digester that turns them into electrical energy. Our goal is to achieve 100 percent solar power. And we’re working toward becoming a Certified B Corporation.
Which reminds me: congratulations on receiving the Deane C. Davis Outstanding Vermont Business Award in July!
SL: Thank you! We were surprised and humbled because the lineup had some notable businesses with really great stories. But we could never have achieved this honor without our incredible team who make Lawson’s Finest what it is. Karen and I are extremely grateful for their commitment.
Let’s shift to your family. How did you and Karen meet?
SL: Karen and I met on one of the snowshoe tours I guided at Mad River Glen, on a full moon night in 2000. She came back for a second snowshoe the following year, and we went on our first date shortly after that. We were married later that year. We have two amazing daughters: Ava is 16 and Jade is 12.
How do you unwind?
SL: Besides drinking beer? I get outside, go hiking, snowshoe, or ski. In the summertime, I camp and canoe. At home, I love just sitting on the deck or looking out the big window and admiring the beautiful views. I stargaze and have my SkyGuide app to notify me when the international space station is flying by.
“We built our own wastewater treatment facility, and any solid brewing wastes go to a methane digester that turns them into electrical energy. Our goal is to achieve 100 percent solar power.” –Sean Lawson
Lawson's Finest Liquids brews more than 25 varieties of beer, and each comes in a cheerful, rainbow-hued can. Happiness starts with the first sip!
Any cooking specialties, and paired with which beers?
SL: Karen loves my crispy chicken burritos. I brown and crisp the rolled tortilla in a little olive oil in an iron skillet. They’re the healthy version of chimichanga! I pair those with any of our IPAs. The girls love my sweet Italian sausage penne pasta made with a whole bunch of garlic, broccoli, Parmesan, and Romano. Our Scrag Mountain pilsner or Super Sessions goes beautifully with that dish. We’re big fans of grilled cheeseburgers made with local beef; I make them all year long. If I’m doing a wood-fired barbecue, I’ll grill bone-in chicken thighs, marinated or seasoned with salt and pepper. The slow cook and hot smoke method makes the skin really crispy and flavorful. Almost any of our beers go well with grilled meat!
So when are you opening your restaurant?
SL: (At this, he throws his head back and laughs.) I’m happy to work on creative concepts for someone else’s restaurant! As long as they serve our beer.
Looking to the future, what would you like as your legacy?
SL: To be known as community-centric and generous in caring for our employees. We hope that the brand outlives us, still standing for quality liquids and authentic values.
Any lessons to impart to your daughters?
SL: Work hard, be true to yourself and your values, and follow your passion.
Final thought, or shall I say, last sip?
SL: My mom taught me that the most important thing in life is your happiness. If you’re not happy, none of the rest really matters.
5 RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS FOR SEAN LAWSON
Typical breakfast?
An egg sandwich on an English muffin, or a yogurt-fruit smoothie with an everything bagel and butter, cream cheese, or peanut butter depending on the mood of the day. And always a cup of freshly brewed Vermont coffee.
Favorite childhood meal?
Pizza! Growing up in New Jersey, we had some of the best pizza around. Thin crust, crispy bottom, and homemade tomato sauce.
Cake, pie, or cookies?
Chocolate flourless torte, paired with a barrel-aged maple imperial stout or a maple triple.
Guilty pleasure?
Bacon? Pork belly? Should I feel guilty?
Late-night snack?
Anything chocolate. Or a maple imperial stout, which almost counts as chocolate.
