THE GIST
Lawson’s Finest Liquids today announced plans to expand distribution full time to Massachusetts and to deepen its current presence in Connecticut. Beginning this week, the Vermont-based brewery will begin selling Sip of Sunshine IPA in Massachusetts, both in cans and on draft, while Super Session #2 is slated to become available in the state in “future months.” The brewery has partnered with Atlantic Distributing for coverage in the Bay State. Additionally, come February, the brewery will offer up an “expanded supply” of cans and kegs of the same beers in Connecticut through its existing wholesale partners, Hartford Distributors, Inc. and Star Distributing.
WHY IT MATTERS
Founded in 2008, Lawson’s once employed a model like most of the other New England beer stalwarts of similar repute and limited availability (The Alchemist, Hill Farmstead, Tree House, Trillium, etc.). That is, their beer didn’t travel to you—you had to go find it. That model has proven effective for these, and other, companies. But it’s no surprise now to see Lawson’s take to the road.
In 2014, the company entered an alternating proprietorship with Two Roads in Stratford, Connecticut. There, no longer confined to a 7-barrel brewery, the company was able to up production of its canned flagship IPAs. But the partnership represented more than additional capacity without having to break ground (though it certainly helped). It also enabled the company to service new markets with locally made product, better ensuring freshness.
Adding Massachusetts and expanding in Connecticut weren’t the only announcements the company made Monday, however. The brewery also said it plans to begin selling beer in northern parts of Vermont and in the Upper Valley—about an hour from its hometown of Warren. Furthermore, the company said it’s still on track to begin construction of a 30-barrel brewing facility in Waitsfield, Vermont this spring. When that’s up and running, the rest of New England’s beer community will no doubt be paying attention the company’s distribution plans.
—Dave Eisenberg
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Our ship is about to blast off [Lawson’s]