SIPS OF SUNSHINE
While we are missing being close to our colleagues, community and loved ones lately, we are grateful for all of the ways we are able to stay virtually connected in this time of physical distancing.
One great example of this is the Mad River Valley Community Fund and MRV Emergency Management Volunteers bringing our community together through art. Two of our very own, Katie and Gabby, created this beautiful painting to add a little sunshine and send a message of hope. This piece, amongst many other amazing contributions will be hung around the Mad River Valley. It is a lovely reminder that we are all in this together!
We’re also excited to announce our continued support of Green Up Vermont‘s Green Up Day, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Usually held on the first Sunday in May, this year the event has been rescheduled to May 30th. Our staff will be participating in clean-up efforts on our grounds, and we encourage others to support this initiative to keep our state beautiful!
OPERATIONAL UPDATES
Our retail store remains open with curbside drive-thru service and online ordering. We are adhering to all of the latest guidance from the Vermont Governor’s office and the CDC in order to ensure the safety of our staff and our guests, which is always our first priority. A full list of our packaged beer is available on our website, which is updated daily. We continue to offer a 40% discount for our dedicated healthcare workers (please bring your work ID). We want to thank all of our guests for continuing to support us in this new environment, and we look forward to the day when we can all share a cheers over a beer in the taproom again!
We recently partnered with Shift Meals to serve as a pick-up location for the free nourishing meals they are distributing to Vermonters in need. Meals can be ordered online in advance and picked up on Thursdays from 12-6 PM.
BEER RELEASES
Ushering in the month of May, Phirst Light IPA is a collaboration with Lawson’s Finest Liquids and Upper Pass Beer that features a quaffable “light” IPA with a mash-up of our brewing styles. Brewed with Vermont-grown barley from Peterson Quality Malt, Vermont-grown Centennial and Nugget hops from Champlain Valley Hops and Citra and Simcoe Cryo hops (lupulin powder) from Yakima Chief. Phirst Light IPA is available at our drive-thru retail store and select accounts throughout Vermont. 100% of profits from bottle sales will be donated to the Vermont Brewers Association.
On May 2nd, we’ll welcome the return of Knockout Blonde, our blonde ale that packs a zippy punch of hop aroma! This brew features a flavorful blend of North American malts and is fully loaded with Cascade and Centennial hops.
Next up is our Peril Imperial IPA – our 12th Anniversary beer – releasing on May 22nd. This beer has a menacing hop character and dangerously smooth flavor, achieved by copious dry hopping and cold conditioning. This is the first time we’ve offered Peril in cans, and we’re excited to share it with our fans throughout Vermont!
Another set of firsts follows with Super Session #4 with Centennial hops in our new 16-oz. packaging! This will be the first time we have our #4 packaged in cans, with a planned release in late May. The beer will also continue to be available in 12-oz. cans in the 12-pack format.
BEER DELIVERIES
We want to give a big shout out to our incredible team of road warriers, delivering our finest liquids near and far. If you see them on the road, give them a little beep beep love!
We also want to thank our fans throughout our nine-state territory of Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Philadelphia and New Jersey for continuing to support our company during these trying times. We are keeping the production lines rolling on Sip of Sunshine and Super Session, and have a few special drops of some of our other beers planned for the month of May!
CHARITABLE GIVING PROGRAM
The Social Impact Program (SIP) has been organizing many recent charitable donations in response to the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sunshine Fund
Though the taproom is currently closed, we have been delighted to see our guests continuing to show their support for our Sunshine Fund via donations on purchases made at our retail store, which remains open. From March 16th – April 17th, Lawson’s Finest collected donations totaling $5,164 for the Mad River Valley Community Fund, which is providing emergency grants for sudden unemployment due to COVID-19 precautions. From April 17th – May 31st the Sunshine Fund will accept donations on behalf of the Vermont Community Fund‘s COVID-19 Response Fund which supports the most vulnerable people and communities in Vermont by addressing the basic needs of food, shelter, safety, and mental health.
The Vermont Women’s Fund was astonished to receive their donation totaling $15,226 which was collected from March 1st – 15th. As a thank you, they will be sending our staff t-shirts. Since our taproom opening in October 2018, we’ve been able to donate half a million dollars to local non-profit organizations through the Sunshine Fund!
Good Brews for a Cause
The ladies of Lawson’s Finest brewed Summit Sour as a fundraiser for the Pink Boots Society. We donated $1 from every bottle and draft sold – totaling $668 – in addition to creating many fond memories during the brewing and packaging processes!
Our collaboration beer with Big Spruce Brewing, 98 Degrees in the Shade, will provide 100% of profits to Frontline Foods Vermont in the anticipated donation amount of $4,026. Frontline Foods Vermont provides meals to frontline healthcare workers in Vermont by connecting local restaurants with hospitals.
Phirst Light, our collaboration beer with Upper Pass Beer Company, will provide 100% of profits to the Vermont Brewers Association in the anticipated donation amount of $4,000 to help ensure the continued health and vitality of Vermont breweries.
Super Sessions
We are leaving the application open, however, are holding off on funding any applications until it is safe to reconvene in communities again since the Super Sessions initiative’s goal is to foster social gatherings.
RETAIL STORE
While you can’t peruse our retail store offerings in person, you can see them all on our online store, including our new Sip of Sunshine Anorak, as well as blue and green corduroy Sunshine hats! You can also purchase gift cards for use at our drive-thru retail store in Waitsfield, VT. Please note: there may be a delay in order processing due to COVID-19 implications. We appreciate your patience and your business!
Check out this delicious Beer Cocktail that you can easily create at home with very few ingredients; the Sip 75! Crafted with Sip of Sunshine, Barr Hill Gin, fresh lemon, and simple syrup.
