Lawson's Finest Liquids

Montpelier Farmer's Market - Sat. Jan. 21

2012-01-19T07:22:00.004-05:00

Visit the Montpelier Farmer's Market website for directions and information about the great farmers, food producers and crafters at this Saturday's market!

Lawson's will be well stocked with a large variety of brews that you won't find all at once anywhere else! Last month, with similar quantities, we had plenty of beer available thru the first few hours of market, so you don't need to arrrive right at 10am to get what you are looking for.

Here's the essentials:

4 bottle limit per variety of beer, per person.

Seared Palate Barley Wine (Bourbon Barrel Aged) - $30/750ml
Oak-Aged Fayston Maple Imperial Stout - $25/750ml
Double Sunshine IPA - $9/22oz
Chinooker'd IPA - $7/22oz
Red Spruce Bitter (holiday ale with spruce tips and cinnamon!) - $7/22oz
Steve's Backyard Red Ale - $7/22oz

I'll be posting more details about our newest collaboration brew - Steve's Backyard Red Ale - brewed with local homebrewer Steve Robbins shortly after the Market, so stay tuned.

Thanks for all your support!

Chinooker'd IPA Returns!!!

2012-01-11T11:11:00.003-05:00

Like an old friend, one of my favorite old-school "C" hops returns this week with the Chinooker'd IPA! It will be going out in draught to our tap accounts and bottles to our retail outlets - see our Lawson's website for a full list.

I'm also really excited about the next Montpelier Farmer's Market on January 21, Saturday, from 10am to 2pm. We're working on trying to get the next Oak-aged Fayston Maple Imperial Stout in bottles by then, and its a beauty! Aged for over a year in a single barrel that previously held Buffalo Trace bourbon and Sam Adams Utopias! Blended with some fresh FMIS....So smooth....yum! I've also saved just a few remaining cases of the Seared Palate Barley Wine and these will go to the market as well.

Here's a quick preview of other beers I'll have in ample quantities (min. 12 cases each)

2011 Red Spruce Bitter (one brew a year!)

Chinooker'd IPA

Double Sunshine IPA

and drumroll please....Steve's Backyard Red Ale! We'll be posting more details about this special collaboration beer with local homebrewer Steve Robbins of the Mad River Valley soon!

Cheers!

Sean

Happy Holidaze!

2011-12-22T22:43:00.003-05:00

A fresh round of Sugarhouse IPA arrives with the add'l Fayston Maple Imperial Stout on Friday, December 23 to draft and bottle locations. See Lawson's Finest website for links and contact info to check availability over the holiday week. Look forward to our holiday release of Red Spruce Bitter soon as well as the return of Chinooker'd IPA! Giving thanks and wishing you the best!

Montpelier Farmers Market - 12/17

2011-12-15T22:33:00.007-05:00

Not much time; here's the basics.

This Saturday, December 17th, 10AM - 2PM; Vermont College Gym.

Visit www.montpelierfarmersmarket.com for directions and more info about this awesome winter market!

Happy Holidays!

Limit 4 bottles per person of each variety

Sugarhouse IPA (6% abv) - $6.99 ea - 48 btl

Double Sunshine IPA (8% abv) - $8.99 ea - 168 btl

Fayston Maple Imperial Stout (10% abv) - $15.00 ea - 132 btl

And something special.....Over a year aging in oak (bourbon) - the first ever barley wine from Lawson's Finest!

Seared Palate Barley Wine (13% abv) - $30 ea/750ml; each waxed and signed. Suitable for special occasions and decades in your cellar. Bottle count for this release TBA. Approx. 260 bottles were created from three very small batches of finely aged and blended beer.

Sample tastings will be available. Please visit all of the fine farmers, producers and crafters at the Market. Cheers!

Double Sunshine IPA

2011-12-10T09:44:00.004-05:00

22oz Bottles of Double Sunshine IPA arrived at the Hunger Mtn. Coop, Beverage Warehouse, and Warren Store, yesterday, December 9th. Our draft accounts also got this beer yesterday, however, many of them will not be tapping it immediately. It's best to call ahead if you are looking for bottles, as the inventory disappears quickly!

We are also pleased to announce that the Tracks Room pub at the Pitcher Inn in the village of Warren is now re-opened! The ravages of Hurricane Irene's floodwaters reached the bottom floor of the Inn, and the pub has been closed for the last few months. Thanks to all the volunteers that started the clean-up, the staff at the Pitcher Inn, and Matt Groom Building and Remodeling for putting it all back together in fine and beautiful shape!

On tap right now:

Pitcher Inn - Sugarhouse IPA

American Flatbread - Sugarhouse IPA

Localfolk Smokehouse - Sugarhouse IPA

Mad Taco - coming soon: Double Sunshine IPA

Three Penny Taproom - Double Sunshine IPA

The Blackback Pub - Sugarhouse IPA and Fayston Maple Imperial Stout

The Reservoir - Sugarhouse IPA

The Farmhouse Tap and Grill - Sugarhouse IPA (with Fayston Maple Imperial Stout and D.S. in the wings!)

Look for details to be posted this week on our first Farmer's Market in Montpelier of the winter season this coming Saturday, December 17th. Cheers!

This week in beer

2011-12-01T21:14:00.002-05:00

Headed now to a store, restaurant, or beer bar....hopefully near you! Available on Friday, December 2.

Sugarhouse IPA - Bottles at the Warren Store, Hunger Mtn. Coop, and Beverage Warehouse (see previous post below for links to their websites and contact info)

Sugarhouse IPA - On tap (or to be soon) at American Flatbread, Localfolk Smokehouse, Mad Taco, Three Penny Taproom, Farmhouse Taproom and Grill, The Reservoir, and The Blackback Pub.

Fayston Maple Imperial Stout - Just a few cases of bottles - three to be exact - to the Warren Store. On tap now at Three Penny Taproom, Mad Taco, and possibly others.

Finally...if you are craving a Double Sunshine IPA, The Common Man in Warren still has it on tap...not for long!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T20:47:00.004-05:00

I am thankful for so much....family most importantly, and that's what I love most about this holiday. Our T-day tradition is to cook a local Misty Knoll turkey (brined of course) and invite our loved ones. It always seems to snow right around Thanksgiving here in Warren and this year is no exception. A good foot on the ground this evening of the freshies! Wish I was out making some ski turns with friends, but alas, family and food prep call....which I love.

This year's turkey brine follows a recipe from renowned beer cuisine expert and chef Sean Paxton, aka "Homebrew Chef". See here:

http://www.homebrewchef.com/BeerBrinedTurkey.html

for his brining recommendation. Mine has a light and hoppy Lawson's Finest Gonzie session ale (the last of it!) in the mix. Can't wait!

Friday deliveries will happen as usual this week, and going out is the first of the really cold season beers - Fayston Maple Imperial Stout! Perfect for these cold nights and pairing with a dessert, dark chocolate, or just savoring by the woodstove.

Several cases of bottles ($15/750ml) will go to Hunger Mtn. Coop and Beverage Warehouse, and the Warren Store will have plenty through next week. It will also go on tap soon (delivered Friday) at all of our draft accounts, listed on Lawson's website.

Next week, the Sugarhouse IPA will be back, followed by Double Sunshine the following week. You can look forward to our holiday brew Red Spruce Bitter sometime around X-mas/New Years. Look for us at our first winter farmer's market at the Dec. 17th Montpelier Farmers Market. Lawson's will also be at the 1/21, 3/3, and 4/21 markets offering tastings and bottle sales. Visit the market's website for more info, times, directions and descriptions of all the really great farms and producers that are at the market.

Have a wonderful holiday, and THANK YOU for being a fan and supporter of Lawson's Finest Liquids.

Mad Taco Monday!

2011-11-14T19:00:00.008-05:00

Drumroll please......Lawson's Finest Liquids is pleased to announce our newest tap location: The Mad Taco in Waitsfield, VT!!!! Yes indeed, get yourself down to there immediately for set of pork belly tacos, or perhaps a chile colorado burrito, a few tamales or the specials on board and pair it a glass of Lawson's! Can you tell I am excited? If not, just take a look at the shelf above the picture window at the Taco to get the gist of just how well Tacos at the Mad and Lawson's go together. Right now they have two beers on tap with more to follow.

Double Sunshine IPA is back!

After a bit of hiatus for the summer, Double Sunshine IPA is back in the rotation. Bottles went out on Friday, 11/11 and it is now on tap at our local accounts.

Along with that great news, we are also pleased to let you know that Lawson's is now going out to a few new places, thanks to the work put into the brewery over the last few months to help me crank out some more beer! Deliveries still happen on Friday.

You can look for Lawson's Finest at the following locations:

Bottles

Warren Store, Warren, VT

Hunger Mountain Co-op, Montpelier, VT

Beverage Warehouse, Winooski, VT

Draught

Localfolk Smokehouse, Waitsfield, VT

American Flatbread, Waitsfield, VT

Mad Taco, Waitsfield, VT

The Common Man Restaurant, Warren, VT

The Blackback Pub and Flyshop, Waterbury, VT

The Reservoir Restaurant and Taproom, Waterbury, VT

Three Penny Taproom, Montpelier, VT

Farmhouse Taproom and Grill, Burlington, VT

Thanks and enjoy!

Cellar reserve brews....

2011-10-09T11:16:00.005-04:00

I've just returned from the most amazing trip...several weeks in Europe touring some of the finest beer (and wine) destinations in Germany, Belgium, Italy and more. This is the first extended vacation for us in many years. As a result, my one-man brewery has been idle for some time, and our inventory is wiped out. Sorry to say, that no Lawson's will be found on draft during the month of October.

The good news is that I will be brewing again tomorrow, and we'll be stocked again around the first of November with Sugarhouse IPA and Double Sunshine IPA close on its heels! In the meantime, I've decided to dip into my personal reserve of beer to offer a few choice gems at the Warren Store in bottle. This weekend (delivered Sat. PM) they have two cases of 12oz Oak-aged Fayston Maple Imperial Stout, hand bottled and wax-dipped, that sat in a somewhat miniature cask from Tuttletown (NY) distillery. Yum! Only six gallons made. I've also released the very last case for sale of our collaboration brew - Acer Quercus, done with The Bruery. For the next two weekends, I will be bottling up a vintage keg (1/2bbl) of Fayston Maple Imperial Stout that was brewed at the end of 2010 and cellar aged. It has really smoothed out, mellowed and emerged with a different depth and complexity than when this beer is young. There will be just a few cases of 750ml bottles for each weekend. I appreciate your patience and support.

Here are a few fun photos from our journey - the first is of me with new friend Armand de Belder of 3F - Drie Fontenien, one of the top lambic brewers and queze blenders in the world in his cellar in the tiny village of Beersel, Belgium, and the next is of our Oktoberfest fun in Munich, Germany. Prost!

Post_Irene

2011-08-31T23:28:00.003-04:00

Our hearts, thoughts, and donations go out to all those who have been displaced, endured hardship, and lost their homes to Hurricane Irene.

Just a quick update to let you know that Lawson's and our brewery are fine. Our current offering is a session ale, called Gonzie. IPA light or American Bitter Ale? It's up to you. I made alot of this beer for the last warm weeks of the summer and the start of fall, so you will see it right thru September. Hope you enjoy and take good care.

To update you on the places where you can find our beer:

American Flatbread - heavy flood damage, but an amazing recovery is underway; they will re-open with Gonzie on tap on Friday 9/2!

Warren Store - Floodwaters came very close, but the store is open as usual. Gonzie in bottles on Fridays.

Pitcher Inn - The Tracks Pub downstairs was underwater on Sunday eve. They hope to re-open in a few weeks. Will keep you posted.

Common Man - Gonzie on tap and they are high and dry! Open Tues-Sat each week.

Village Porch in Rochester, VT - This town has been cut-off from access by vehicle for three days, and just re-established today. The community was devastated by the flood, and the main roads, as well as bridges in/out of town destroyed in places. My understanding is that the Village Porch and the Mendells are unharmed. They do not have power.

To get updated information, visit www.wcax.com for news, and https://www.facebook.com/MRVpostIrene for information about the Mad River Valley, (and Granville/Hancock/Rochester) and recovery efforts.

You can donate goods in person on Friday in Waitsfield (see link above), make a donation to the Mad River Valley Community Fund, The Red Cross, or a reputable charitable organization.

Finally, please support our fellow brewer and friends John and Jen Kimmich of The Alchemist. Their brewpub was submerged by the floodwaters in Waterbury, and they lost much of the contents. The bright news is that they plan to gut the building and begin anew. And now the really great news.....Heady Topper in cans! Yes, Vermont's first canned beer - brewed and canned in Vermont! The Alchemist Cannery has been in the works for months and will be opening just in time for Labor Day weekend!! You can get cold, tall, 16oz cans of Heady Topper - an American Double IPA at the Cannery, see the operation and get a tasting too, all starting this Friday, September 2 at 11am! Visit www.alchemistbeer.com for their website.

Vermont Brewers Festival!

2011-07-11T11:42:00.008-04:00

Vermont Brewers Festival - Friday July 15th and Saturday July 16th

UPDATED: Wed. July 13, 8am - ALL SESSIONS SOLD OUT!

If you don't have tickets yet and are planning to go....hurry up and grab one before they are gone! Visit www.vtbrewfest.com. Saturday is already completely sold out and tickets are dwindling for the remaining session on Friday night.

As a heads up to our loyals fans: this is the place to be if you want a Lawson's Finest this week! Due to our tiny capacity, almost all of our available beer will be going to the festival. This means Lawson's will NOT be on tap at American Flatbread in Waitsfield and the Village Porch in Rochester, VT. There will be very limited number of bottles at the Warren Store, however, there is plenty of our collaboration beer, Acer Quercus available at the Warren Store, The Hunger Mtn. Coop, and starting this Wed. July 13 at the Beverage Warehouse in Winooski. See below for info on our release party for Acer Quercus on 7/13 at the Farmhouse Taproom and Grill in Burlington.

Here is our beer list for the festival. Stay hydrated, consume responsibly, savor the flavors, and ENJOY! Hope to see you there - Cheers!

2011 Vermont Brewers Festival -- Beer Descriptions

Acer Quercus – A collaboration with The Bruery of Palcentia, CA, this brew combines VT maple syrup, CA date sugar, maple-wood smoked malt, malted and chocolate rye, flaked oats, two yeasts, and toasted oak cubes to yield a rich and complex dark ale. “Nanotacular!” 9.5%

Triple Play IPA – A trio of hop varieties deliver a symphony of juicy tropical hop flavors, a wonderful bouquet of floral aromas, and just enough malt backbone to stand up to a triple punch of bitterness. Brewed and dry-hopped with Citra, Simcoe, and Centennial. “No batter beer!” 6.5%

Liquid Sunshine Ale – Aromatic esters from a Belgian-style yeast combine with ripe fruitiness of American hops to yield a brew with a sip of summer sunshine in every glass! 5.5%

Permagrin Rye Pale Ale – This crisp American ale is a dark amber color, with a nice spicy bite from the use of malted, crystal, and toasted flaked rye that will creep up and leave you smiling! A healthy dose of lupulins from Simcoe, Amarillo, Cascade and Centennial hops round out this beer. 6%

Maple on Brett – Our wild Vermont maple ale is fermented with Brettanomyces bruxellensis wild yeast, imparting a savory twang and sour, horse blanket-like character. Aged one year! FRIDAY NIGHT ONLY. 8.8% (One 5 gallon keg)

Chinooker’d IPA CASK - Chockfull of Chinook hops and bursting with pine and citrus aromas and flavors. This hop-bomb is flavorful and bold with a dry finish. Double dry-hopped and cask conditioned. SATURDAY ONLY. 6.9%

ACER QUERCUS RELEASE PARTIES!

2011-06-26T18:41:00.003-04:00

How's this for last minute notification....

Tomorrow, Monday June 27 at the Three Penny Taproom, Acer Quercus will make its Vermont debut on draught!!! We are very excited to say the least. Bottles of this beer will be hitting the Hunger Mtn. Coop in Montpelier first thing in the morning, and they will be at the Warren Store too. TPT will start serving up the AQ sometime after they open (not sure exactly, call ahead, 5pm at the latest). I'll be dropping by later in the evening to say hi and have a glass myself!

If you can't make it tomorrow, fear not. On July 13, we will be holding another release party with a couple of kegs going the Farmhouse Taproom and Grill in Burlington as part of their Vermont brewers celebration in advance of the Vermont Brewers Festival on July 15 and 16. That same day, ample quantity of bottles will arrive at the Beverage Warehouse in Winooski. Cheers! - Sean

Acer Quercus has arrived!

2011-06-16T07:37:00.006-04:00

Greetings all!
As often is the case, I must apologize for the long delay in posts. Its been a very busy spring and hard to believe it, but yes, summer festival season is upon us. We have already taken part in two excellent events, that you should check out next year!

The Brattleboro Brewers Festival on May, 21 in southern Vermont was fantastic. With a relatively small crowd (compared to the number of vendors) the atmosphere was relaxed and there were virtually no lines! We also we thrilled to be chosen for "The People's Choice Award"! Our booth was the most visited at the festival - check out our bling!

The American Craft Beer Fest in Boston, MA on June 3-4, offered up a dizzying array of world-class brews from well over 100 breweries from around the country. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Although the festival is very large (5,000 people/session) the exhibit hall is plenty large to spread us all out, and the lines for beer move quickly. It was great to meet so many new people and brewers and introduce them to their first taste of Lawson's Finest.

ACER QUERCUS - THE BRUERY/LAWSON'S FINEST COLLABORATION

Yes indeed, this liquid elixir of Vermont and California goodies has landed in Vermont! We served up the first couple of kegs at the ACBF (see above) in Boston with much fanfare and some great feedback. We are going to be labeling the bottles for this beer in the next two weeks and have a number of cases to distribute out to Vermont. Starting at the end of June, you can look for this beer at the Warren Store, the Beverage Warehouse in Winooski, and Hunger Mtn. Co-op in Montpelier. As an added bonus, for every bottles sold at Hunger Mtn., Lawson's Finest and Hunger Mtn will each donate a dollar to the the Three Penny Taproom's lost cellar beer fund. (In case you don't know, they lost their entire bottled collection two weeks ago due to the flooding in Montpelier).

We are planning release parties for both the Three Penny and the Farmhouse Tap and Grill, and bottles will be delivered to market on the same day we tap some draft beer at each of these locaitons. Keep tuned to the blog and when we have some dates nailed down, I'll post them here, along with some more detailed information about the beer itself, the fun we had creating it, and the awesome folks out at The Bruery in Placentia, CA.

Cheers!

UPDATED: 2010 Maple Tripple

2011-04-14T22:19:00.000-04:00

The long-awaited day is coming! Our 2010 Maple Tripple Ale, brewed in April of 2010, is bottle-conditioning as I write this post. We plan to release this beer on Saturday, April 16th at the Montpelier Farmer's Market. The bottle count tallies 374, and we plan to make about 264 bottles available at the market with the remainder reserved for our cellar-aging program and future events.

This special brew is one of our single-batch beers, and can only be made during the sugaring season in Vermont. Here's the description from the label:

"Bottled in April 2011, this 'once a year beer' is a slowly fermented single-batch brew made during 2010 spring sugaring season. It quietly rested for a year in a single oak barrel from Saxtons River Distillery that previously held Sapling maple liquor. Our recipe has no water added, and uses only barley, hops, yeast, and concentrated maple sap from our friend Paul Marble of Fayston, VT. Bottle-conditioned. Will age elegantly for many years."

Encapsulated in the bottle is an exquisite and intense maple experience! The specialty bottles that hold the 2010 Maple Tripple are beautiful - 500ml sparkling wine style with heavy antique green glass and an enticing shape. Megan Schultz of Meg's Events and Designs has designed a

new label for this beer that is fantastic and matches the premium quality of this unique creation.

More details will be posted next week, but here's what we know so far about the release: We will not take any advanced orders or reservations for any of our beer at this market. Sales will begin at 10:00am.

- 2010 Maple Tripple Ale - 4 bottle/person limit

- First-come, first-serve. We'll post details next week on how we'll manage the line.

- There will be several other varieties of Lawson's beer for sale, and these will have a bottle limit of 2 of any variety, with a total limit of 4 bottles (in addition to any Maple Tripple). The maximum allocation for any one person will be eight bottles.

I really appreciate your patience and understanding in that we have a tiny brewery with very limited capacity. We understand many of you travel to make a purchase, and unfortunately there is never enough beer to meet everyone's expectations. I appreciate your support and look forward to the day when we have more beer to go around!

____________________________________________________________________

UPDATED: APRIL 14, 2011

When you visit the Montpelier Farmer's Market (http://www.montpelierfarmersmarket.com/), be sure to check out all the amazing producers here. Fresh spring greens and veggies galore, local and natural meats from beef to duck and pork, artisan cheeses, Vermont wine, pickled and preserved farm goodies, crafts and prepared foods! Please support the market while you visit by visiting the other vendors!

Here's the scoop on exactly what we will offer and how it will go down:

2010 Maple Tripple Ale - $25/500ml - limit 4/person - 264 bottles

Double Sunshine IPA - $9/22oz - limit 2/person -about 90 bottles

Triple Play IPA - $7/22oz - limit 2/person - about 90 bottles

- We'll begin handing out numbered cards at 9:30am outside the entrance to the Vermont College Gym to secure a place in line. Look for the guy with the LFL sign! - If you arrive before 9:30am, you will be asked to wait outside and not obstruct vendors from setting up. We are not permitted to have a long line-up at the table. - The numbered card will entitle you to purchase up to 4 bottles of 2010 Maple Tripple. All other beer varieties offered for sale will be limited to 2 of any variety with a total of 4 additional bottles/person, first-come, first serve. Just to be clear, if you want to purchase the maximum allocation, you can buy a total of 8 bottles (4 Maple Tripple, 2 Double Sunshine IPA, and 2 Triple Play IPA). Once its gone, its gone! - Your card will have a time to arrive table make your purchase. We estimate 7 people for every 10 minutes. (e.g. #1-3 will have 10:00am; #4-7, will have 10:05am; #8-10 will have 10:10am, #11-14 will have 10:15am, etc.). - Once we have handed out 66 numbered cards, we will consider all the beer to be sold. However, it is not likely that everyone will purchase 4 bottles of Maple Tripple Ale each, so please check back with us at or after 12pm noon for availability of this beer.

Cheers!

Lawson's Finest - National IPA Champion!

2011-03-07T23:37:00.006-05:00

On March 5th, Lawson's Finest Triple Play IPA was honored as the National IPA Champion by Brewing News! This annual tournament is held in a March Madness style single elimination head to head competition in seven rounds. You can click here to see the brackets and all the competitors.

The field of 128 different India Pale Ales includes well known breweries such as Sierra Nevada, Harpoon, and Sam Adams, as well as some of the most highly awarded IPA's from west-coast breweries such as Ballast Point, Firestone Walker, Port Brewing, and more!

I am thrilled and honored that our little brewery took the crown! The Triple Play IPA is one of our new recipes, and is based on my Double Sunshine IPA (8%), only with additional hop varieties, and a lower alchol content (6.5%). The beer is brewed with Citra, Simcoe, and Centennial hops and features a tantalizing floral aroma, layers of juicy tropical hop flavor, and just enough malt backbone to stand up to a triple punch of bitterness.

I've had lots of fun with this name, which fits into my love of baseball theme....such as Triple Play IPA - goes all the way! And "No batter beer!" - which you'll find right on the label. Many cheers to you all, and thanks for joining on us on this fun ride!

Brewing Updates and March 5th Market

2011-02-28T11:23:00.009-05:00

Sometimes it take a while to get up-to-date on the blog, so here we go!

Permagrin Rye P.A. is back!

The 2010 incarnation of our Permagrin Rye Pale Ale (6%) features a new recipe that I hope you find even more delicious. The base malt is now a heartier Munich, while Crystal Rye and Toasted Rye Flakes have been added to give a richer rye character and mouthfeel. You'll find the color is slightly darker and overall the beer a bit more balanced, yet still featuring a healthy dose of flavorful hops including Simcoe, Centennial, and Amarillo.

Third Anniversary Brew!

I dug deep into the archives and have re-brewed the very first receipe used in our current brewhaus! This beer was first tapped around St. Patty's day at Mad River Glen in 2008, and hasn't been brewed again since. Our Sugarhouse IPA is a classy lupulin-forward mouthfull of Summit and Columbus hops backed by a medium-bodied Vermont-style pale ale rounded by three varieties of Cara malts and our favorite Gambrinus pale malted barley. It will be available for a limited time during this March on draft and in bottles.

Montpelier Farmer's Market - March 5, 2010 - 10 am

This Saturday, I'll be a the market again with the remaning 7 cases of Bourbon Barrel-Aged Fayston Maple Imperial Stout - 84 bottles while they last. In order spread out the availability and crowd, we will be holding two cases of each beer until 12pm noon to make available at that time. Here's this market's offering:

BBA FMIS - 750ml - $30 (no limit)

Double Sunshine IPA - 22oz- $9 (limit 2/person)

Knockout Blonde Ale - 22oz - $7 (limit 2/person)

2009 Hillside Hard Cider - 750ml - $12 (no limit)

Lawson's 2009 vintage hard cider is fermented exclusively with champagne yeast and 100% apple juice pressed at Lost Meadow Cidery in Calais, VT. It has been carefully cellar-aged for a year and a half! If the Sugarhouse IPA is adequately conditioned later this week, I will also be offering that in 22oz bottles as well.

Cheers!

Montpelier Farmer's Market - Sat. Jan. 22th

2011-01-20T08:09:00.006-05:00

This Saturday will feature the second release in our Barrel-Aged series, an exciting long-term project this I described in detail in my last post (see below). I will be at the Montpelier Farmers Market on E. State St. from 10am to 2pm on Saturday, January 22nd, offering bottles for sale, and sample tastings.

We will be offering our Bourbon Barrel-Aged Fayston Maple Imperial Stout in bottles for the very first time! The barrels I obtained were freshly emptied from the Maker's Mark distillery. They are a small family run artisan distiller, much like some of our home-grown breweries here in Vermont. If you think the long name is a mouth-full, wait until you taste it! Much like last month's Maple Barrel Aged release, this beer is bottle conditioned, carbonated and ready to drink now, however, I highly recommend saving some for a year or more to age, which will smooth out the beer, while melding the different flavors together, increase the complexity, and mellow the 11% abv. on this special beer. I am also pleased to let you know that I was able bottle 350 bottles of the 750ml size - twice as much as our Maple Barrel version, so there should be plenty to go around on Saturday. We will also be planning to pour a number of samples of the barrel aged stout to have available on the table at 10am, so that you can try this beer before or while you purchase it.

Just to be sure, and to help spread out the crowd, we'll be running this release a bit differently. Last market the crowd that formed at the table was an issue for other vendors, as folks were sometimes blocked from getting to the adjacent tables. I will be releasing cases of this beer at 10am, 11am and Noon, so you don't have to be here at 10am to purchase this beer. I will also be holding several cases of our other varieties of beer to begin selling at Noon, thus offering later arrivals the opportunity to purchase beer. Last market, we were sold out of all of our beer by around noon, I know crazy. Until we do expand someday, I really appreciate your understanding that quantities are limited, and that the demand is greater than the supply.

Here are the exact details and beer menu:

Maker's Mark Bourbon Barrel-Aged Fayston Maple Imperial Stout - $30/750ml - no limit

$8/187ml (very limited) - 1 bottle/person if purchasing 750ml, 2 bottles if not.

The following bottles have a limit of 2/person of each variety (limit 6 total)

Double Sunshine IPA - $9/22oz
Knockout Blonde - $7/22oz
Maple Nipple Ale - $7/22oz

Hope to see some of you there on Saturday. Cheers and safe travels!
-Sean

Thank you!

2011-01-12T12:13:00.007-05:00

A belated Happy New Year, friends!

I just want to send out a HUGE thank you to all of the folks out there that have supported our small brewery since we started! Its been a great ride and as I reflect on what will be three years in business this March, there are so many people to thank. First, and most importantly, is my wife and business partner Karen, who is as adept at applying labels as she is wrangling our two girls. Without her commitment to our small business, it never would have started! Just as important are all of our customers, who are willing to travel to buy our beer and keep coming back for more. Without you, it wouldn't be possible. I know that some of you have traveled far and left Warren empty handed, which - trust me - pains me (almost) as much as you. Working on fixing that :) Thanks to all the local businesses, from the Warren Store to our favorite beer bars and restaurants that carry Lawson's Finest and that help us to succeed. Our suppliers, volunteers, friends, other brewers, supporters and more all deserve a hearty thanks, and a delicious beer in their hands!

Looking ahead in 2011, there are many exciting projects on the horizon. We continue to plan for an eventual expansion of our equipment at the current brewery location, with a timeline TBA. When I know, you'll know! While this means we still won't be offering tours, tasting, or on-site sales at the brewery, it will mean I can continue to walk to and from work and brew with the incredibly beautiful, soft, clean well water that Lawson's Finest is created with now, and keep the quality of life high.

Our barrel-aging projects are just starting to mature and the first round of BA beer went out just before the holidays. On deck is the Bourbon Barrel Aged (Maker's Mark) Fayston Maple Imperial Stout. This beer is in the bottle (750ml with cork & cage finish) conditioning now, and I'll start selling it on January 22 at the Farmer's Market in Montpelier. The good news is the batch is twice the size of the Maple Barrel (Saxton's River Sapling) stout that we released in December. We are also planning the logistics of this release, as the line/crowd that formed at the Lawson's table at the beginning of the market was problematic for the other vendors last time. More details to follow, but tentatively, we plan to release bottles at 10am, 11am and 12noon to spread the sales out and offer more time for tastings.

We now also have two oak barrels full of Fayston Maple Imperial Stout in Buffalo Trace/Utopias. Big thanks to Alan at Trapp's and Dan at Ale Street News for helping me to secure these barrels. I anticipate they will be ready in late 2011. Most exciting for me is the maturation of the 2010 Maple Tripple Ale, which is resting quietly in another Saxton's River Sapling Maple Liquor barrel. I put a different twist on this once-a-year beer each time, and the oak aging is new for this batch. Its coming along quite nicely. I expect that we'll bottle and release this beer when it reaches a year in the barrel, which means April 2011, around the same time I'll be brewing the 2011 Maple Tripple.

The 2010 Farmhouse Rye is also now aging in a French Oak barrel that held a French white wine. I've added Brettanomyces Clausenii to this years batch to create a nice pineapple note in the aroma and a traditional Belgian-style dry finish and flavor. I hope it will be ready before the summer is over, but won't be sure until we get there! The final beer currently in our barrel line-up is a new American-style Barley Wine called Seared Palate. It started at 11% abv, before hitting the oak, which was sloshing with Makers Mark Bourbon and is sure to boost the alcohol to at least 12%. Also expect this beer in fall or early winter 2011.

In March, I'll be traveling to San Francisco for the annual Craft Brewers Conference, and will be on a panel for seminar on Nanobreweries. Ahhhh, a working vacaction! While I'm in California, I have lined up a special collaboration with Patrick Rue at the Bruery. Can you say *excited*?!? Patrick and I got in touch after both our breweries scored with a maple beer at the 2010 World Beer Cup, and we are schemeing up a new creation to be brewed while I am there, featuring Vermont and California ingredients. It will be distributed to CA and VT only, and when more details become available about this beer we'll let you know.

In the meantime, this winter, look for Double Sunshine IPA to be a regular in our line-up, along with the Maple Nipple Ale, Knockout Blonde, Paradise Ale, a new yet-to-be-named IPA and the occasional releases of Fayston Maple Imperial Stout. I hope to bring back Hopzilla Double IPA and Big Hapi IBA by early spring, as right now, I'm focused on making as much stout as possible for the winter.

FINALLY - we want to hear from you more! If there is anything on your mind, an idea for a beer, something you would like to see Lawson's do or not do, from a compliment to a complaint, we always appreicate hearing from you. Feel free to drop me a line anytime at lawsonsfinest (AT) inbox.com or give me a call on the business line, (802) 272-8436.

Once again, thanks! And, here's to a fantastic, healthy, and great beer filled 2011!
Cheers!!!!!
- Sean

Holiday Market - Beers Galore!

2010-12-14T22:58:00.004-05:00

A quick note to let all our friends know about the excitement that this Saturday, December 18th holds for beer lovers in, around, or visiting Vermont! Lawson's Finest will be making our winter farmer's market debut for this season in Montplier, VT at the Vermont College Gym (corner of College St. and State St.) with an array of brews, including the special release of our first-ever maple barrel aged, Fayston Maple Imperial Stout! This beer was brewed last spring and rested for nearly 9 months, using an American Oak barrel from Saxton's River Distillery (VT), maker of Sapling Maple Liquor. Oh my! While this beer may certainly be enjoyed now and over the holidays, I highly recommend restraint, as like a wine, it will continue to mature for years to come. Try waiting a year or more....if you can.

We'll offer samples for tasting ($1 each) and 120 bottles (of 180 total) of the BA FMIS for sale with a 2 bottle/person limit at $30/750ml. I also have some extra special stocking stuffers! This beer in a single serving 187ml nipper for $8! (48 bottles only at the market, 2/pp limit). You don't need company to open that one :) ---- Keep in mind, this beer represents a huge investment of time, resources, and two entire batches (yes, that's two whole brew days!) to fill one oak barrel. I hope you enjoy the results as much as I do. Whew...

More details will follow, but here is the list of beers: (22oz bottles at $7 ea, unless noted). Sample pours -2oz - Two for $1.

Red Spruce Bitter (4% abv) - 2010 Holiday Ale with Spruce tips and cinnamon
Paradise Ale (6% abv) - Lawson's hoppy amber ale for the winter season
Double Sunshine IPA (8% abv) - $9/22oz - Our new mouthful of juicy hop sensations
Hopzilla Double IPA (9% abv) - $12/750ml - Pucker up!

And maybe...just maybe a few surprises, like our 2009 Hillside Cider, a Vermont-pressed and blended stock of apples designed by Terry Bradshaw of Lost Meadow Cidery in Calais, VT for world-class hard cider making!

Cheers!
Sean

PS - 10am to 2pm at the VT College Gym, 12/18/10. Stop by the Three Penny Taproom after!

IPA Weekend in Waterbury & Warren Store Tasting

2010-11-30T23:03:00.003-05:00

With the highly anticipated release of Heady Toppper in bottles happening at the Alchemist this Saturday, December 4th at 11am - Waterbury, Vermont will be a hop-head heaven! For the traveling fans of beer, Lawson's Finest is pleased to announce our Waterbury debut on tap! Beginning Friday afternoon, across the street from the Alchemist, the Blackback Pub and Flyshop will be offering up Lawson's Paradise Ale on draught. Amber, chewy and aromatic, this brew is dry-hopped with Amarillo. Back across and up the street just a few buildings, Lawson's will also have the Chinooker'd IPA pouring over at the Resevoir resaturant and pub. Both places will be open on Saturday morning! Check at each establishment for hours. As if you needed further enticement, at the Blackback Pub also offer's Shaun Hill's hoppy wonders, where you'll find this weekend the Hill Farmstead's beautiful Edward and Abner double IPA. Ahhhhh the lupulins! If you are fan of juicy, delicious, fresh IPA's get yourself to Waterubury this weekend!

Warren Store Tasting - Saturday 2pm to 4pm

I'll be doubling-down on bottled beer this week and offering a tasting of Lawson's Finest at the Warren Store, on the main street in the village on Saturday afternoon from 2 - 4 pm. Our regular delivery will happen on Friday, for folks planning to travel thru that way. I'll be re-stocking the Warren Store at the outset of the tasting for Saturday afternoon. As always, there is a 4 bottle per person, per day limit on bottles. I'll have the following brews, tentatively for tasting and sales:

Knockout Blonde Ale

Maple Nipple Ale

Chinooker'd IPA

Red Spruce Bitter (2010 Holiday beer)

I just brewed the second batch of Red Spruce Bitter yesterday, with fresh clipped spruce springs from the trees just adjacent to our brewery, and finished the first batch with a dash of cinnamon. It has a distinct woodsy flavor, layer with nice dark malts, altogether in a sessionable 4% ABV beer. Take a break from the winter warmers with this one!

Look foward to seeing some of you this Saturday. Cheers!

Beer Advocate - Night of the Funk!

2010-11-04T11:31:00.008-04:00

Boston, here we go! Lawson's is pleased to participate in this year's BeerAdvocate Night of the Funk, part of the 2-day Belgian Beer Festival in Boston, MA at the Cyclorama (Boston Center for the Arts). I'll be there on Friday, November 5th starting at 6pm serving up three unusual varieties of Lawson's Finest Liquids for your funktastic sipping. I haven't offered sour or wild ales as a regular part of our line-up, however, I've been having fun with one-batch special releases for festival events over the last several years. I work primarily with isolated strains of Brettanomyces wild yeast, and I'll offer three different varieties at NOTF. All are fairly young, in terms of aging, as Brett. brews continue to mature for many months.

Maple on Brett - A robust Vermont Maple ale, fermented with 100% Brettanomyces Bruxellensis. Mild barnyard character. 8% abv

Mad Wild Grapes - Our wild blonde ale, rested on crushed wild grapes harvested along the riparian areas of the Mad River Valley. Light, slightly tart, and purple! 6% abv

Funky Sunshine - An American IPA, fermented entirely with Brett. Fruity, herbal, and funky. 7% abv

Locally, the Warren Store will be well-stocked on Friday morning with Maple Nipple Ale, Knockout Blonde Ale, 292 Hoptoberfest Ale, and Big Hapi IBA. American Flatbread will have the Dunkelweiss dark wheat ale on tap this weekend, along with another brew. The Common Mad Restaurant re-opens this evening, 11/4, with their Thursday Bistro special ($16pp two-course meal!) and the Maple Nipple Ale. The Village Porch in Rochester, VT has the 292 Hoptoberfest Ale on tap this weekend. The Pitcher Inn is closed for fall break until Nov. 24th.

LAWSON'S HATS AND GLASSWARE ONLINE!

We have a new page on our website, http://www.lawsonsfinest.com/, "Gear and Glassware" where you may order our Lawson's branded hats or three styles of glassware. Check it out!

Cheers!

Farmhouse Hoptober!

2010-10-26T07:58:00.004-04:00

Join us in celebrating the fall season at the Farmhouse Tap and Grill in Burlington, VT on Wednesday, October 27th for their 'Hoptober' event. The evening features their always amazing line-up of draft brews from near and far, with plenty of fall seasonals, and Lawson's Finest - 292 Hoptoberfest Ale! If you've never been, the Farmhouse has an impressive menu of local foods prepared exquisitely and fresh from the farm to your plate! The Lawson's will be tapped up and pouring for the start of evening food service at 5 pm, although you can certainly come in earlier, as they are open for lunch and throughout the afternoon.

Beer Updates:

Now on TAP!

American Flatbread, Waitsfield - Dunkelweiss dark wheat bier, then Knockout Blonde Ale Open Thurs-Sun, 10/28-31.

Common Man, Warren - CLOSED for fall break and restaurant improvements. RE-OPENS on November 3, and they will have on tap the Maple Nipple Ale

Pitcher Inn, Warren - Dunkelweiss - NOTE: CLOSED for fall break Nov. 1 - Nov. 24.

Village Porch - Stony Hill Harvest Ale - Get it while you can! They have the last few pints! Next up, Knockout Blonde Ale. Open Thurs-Sun each week.

This week in bottles: (Friday, 10/29)

Warren Store - Knockout Blonde, Maple Nipple Ale, Big HAPI India Black Ale - Deliveries are made on Fridays.

Hoptoberfest

2010-10-08T21:02:00.003-04:00

Brewing Updates: Fall is here and so is the new crop of beer! ------ Thanks to Peter Conrad for photo

Our 292 Hoptoberfest Ale arrived at the Warren Store today, along with ample (for today)
Chinooker'd IPA. It will be on draft at American Flatbread next weekend. Look for it at other Lawson's locations beyond.

Equinox Extra Ale is in the kegs! First batch in 2 years. I only brew this beer on the Autumnal or Vernal Equinox, and haven't been able to mesh that with my brew schedule for a long time. An XPA or some might say a double american red ale with extra Lawson's! Look for it in wax-topped bottles only starting in about a week.

The first fall 2010 keg of Dunkelweiss will be tapped at the Pitcher Inn on Saturday, October 9.

Knockout Blonde will return in a few weeks. Big Hapi is on the way again soon.

Now on Tap: Flatbread, Waitsfield - Chinooker'd IPA; Common Man, Warren - Maple Nipple Ale; Village Porch, Rochester - Stony Hill Harvest Ale.

Enjoy and Happy Fall!

Website Update and SIPtemberfest!!!

2010-09-21T13:24:00.004-04:00

Well, the hectic summer has just flown by in a blur! Hard to believe it was just the end of July. Since then, I attended the BCTC festival at Brewery Ommegang, the Taste of the Valley at Sugarbush, the infamous Backwoods Brewdown, a special 'Lawson's Night' at Three Penny Taproom, AND I finally got to take a vacation with my family (first full week off in a couple years!). Whew!

I'm really excited about all the updates we've made with our webmaster Cathi of Onion River Web Designs! You'll notice new photos, features, a dedicated events page, and soon, a page where you purchase Lawson gear and glassware! Check it out at http://www.lawsonsfinest.com/, and keep in mind our update is in progress....so check back again soon.

This Saturday, September 25, marks our third annual SIPtemberfest Vermont Beer Tasting event at Mad River Glen. What a great time and an amazing array of special VT brews that folks will have the opportunity to try for the afternoon! If you want to go, better get your tickets soon, as they are almost sold out! Online ticket sales will end on Thursday 9/23 at midnight. Visit http://www.siptemberfest.com/ for all the details and tickets. Hope to see a few of you then.

Cheers!

Vermont Cheesemaker's Festival

2010-07-22T08:04:00.002-04:00

Lawson's Finest Liquids will be one of five breweries presenting their Vermont-brewed beer at the sold-out Vermont Cheesemaker's Festival this Sunday, July 25th at Shelburne Farms.

We'll be offering sample tastings, full glasses of brew, logo glass ware, and bottled Lawson's Finest for taking home with you!

The planned line up for the festival, which is open 10:30 am to 4:30 pm, includes my infamous Hopzilla Double IPA, Weiss-K Wheat Bier, my new Session in the Rye - a 4.5% abv Belgian style Saison, Chinooker'd IPA, and one of my signature Vermont Maple ales.

This weekend the Warren Store will be stocked with Chinooker'd IPA and Weiss-K. Please note, that due to the overwhelming demand, we cannot take reservations or special orders for bottles at this time, and the Store has a bottle limit in fairness to everyone. I really appreciate your patience and willingness to travel, as many people will trek for hours to the Warren Store just to grab our beer. I'm honored. Thanks!

Vermont Brewers Festival

2010-07-10T22:34:00.002-04:00

Oh yes! High season for beer is here. I like to break out all the special stuff for the festivals, especially this one. We sadly and fondly miss Greg Noonan, brewing pioneer of Vermont. This year's festival is dedicated to him. If you want tickets, get them now. Saturday PM session is almost sold out. http://www.vtbrewfest.com/

2010 Vermont Brewers Festival -- Lawson's Finest Liquids

Local Potion – Our 2010 VBF Collaboration brew with Destiny Saxon of Zero Gravity brewery at American Flatbread Burlington is a Vermont Maple Ale. Our localvore-style ale is brewed with a ‘New Englander’ malted barley grown by Maine’s Potato Growers, with 100% Vermont-grown Cascade hops, a healthy addition of pure Vermont Maple Syrup from Purinton Farm in Huntington, and ZG house ale yeast. A small portion of the grist was house-smoked with Dave Rooke over apple wood, creating a subtle hint of smoky aroma and flavor. ~5.3% abv

Noonan’s Tribute – A cask of Local Potion, dry-tipped and naturally carbonated in the firkin with one of Greg’s favorite Vermont ingredients, spring tips of the Red Spruce (Picea rubens) tree! - Tapped at SESSION 2 until it’s gone. ~5.3% abv

Weiss-K Wheat Bier – A German style hefeweizen that is best when served up fresh and ‘mit hefe’ (with yeast). A delightfully refreshing ale with a delicate fruity aroma and a mild spicy flavor from our special Bavarian wheat yeast. ~5.4% abv

Chinooker’d IPA - Our award-winning American-style India Pale Ale recipe is chockfull of Chinook hops and bursting with pine and citrus aromas and flavors. This hop-bomb is flavorful and bold with a dry finish. ~6.9% abv

Maple on Brett – A wild Vermont maple ale! Our Maple Nipple Ale base recipe fermented with Brettanomyces bruxellensis wild yeast, imparting a savory twang and sour, horse blanket-like character. 8.8% abv

Maple-barrel aged Fayston Maple Imperial Stout - Brewed with over two gallons of Maple Syrup per bbl and loaded with roasted barley and black patent malts. This beer is then carefully aged in Saxton River Distillery’s Sapling Maple Liquor barrels made of American Oak. ~ 11% abv – SESSION 1 ONLY

Bourbon-barrel aged Fayston Maple Imperial Stout – Brewed with over two gallons of Maple Syrup per bbl and loaded with roasted barley and black patent malts. This beer is then carefully aged in Maker’s Mark bourbon barrels made of American Oak. ~ 11% abv – SESSION 2 ONLY

Vanilla Espresso Woodchuck Stout – A hearty American-style stout brewed with flaked barley and oats, then infused with fresh Green Mountain Coffee Roasters’ espresso and vanilla beans. ~5% abv – SESSION 3 ONLY

Bad blogger!

2010-06-26T22:19:00.004-04:00

OK, you already know the bad news: I'm a bad blogger these days. A blog is only relevant if you update it regulary! Not to mention the 'bound-fo-fail' curse of a New Year's Resolution (to blog more often....)

Photo credit: (c) Megan Shultz

The good news is I've been a busy brewer, which means more people enjoying more Lawson's Finest ales than ever before! Plus a few very special projects are now in the works that have been taking up a great deal of my time.

So here's a glimpse of few exiting things at Lawson's Finest. I do indeed hope to get more complete details here in the near future.

ON DECK: Summer!

Festival Season is here. We poured the Brattleboro Brewers Festival and upcoming are The Vermont Brewer's Festival (wait till you see the line of LFL brews!) on July 16-17, The VT Cheesemakers Festival at Shelburne Farms (with bottle sales) on July 25, and Ommegang's "Belgium Comes to Cooperstown" festival on July 30-31.

Our barrel-aging project is underway. Holy oaked goodness brewman! More details to follow.

Our newest collaboration with Destiny at Zero Gravity Brewing of Flatbread Btown fame is "Local Potion," a localvore style Vermont maple ale, brewed with barley grown in Maine, 100% VT hops, syrup from Huntington, and a bit of wisdom from Paul Sayler. On top of that, we house-smoked some of the malted barely with Root Beer man and BBQ master Dave Rooke to lend a hint of smokiness to this beer. I'll have a cask "dry-tipped" with spruce sprigs at the VBFest (session 2) called Noonan's Tribute. Also, look for it on tap and cask at Flatbread Burlington Hearth starting the week of the festival.

A few other new beers are on the way for summer including an easy drinking Session in the Rye saison (4.5%) , a juicy hop forward pale ale called Liquid Sunshine, and the return of Karen's Kolsh redux for summer.

So many good beers to brew and to try. Cheers to you all and thanks for coming back to check us out!
Sean

Lawson's Beer Dinner at Perfect Pear Cafe

2010-04-27T11:46:00.004-04:00

Hey Friends!

There is still time to get a spot (there are only a few reservations left) for this Wednesday, April 28th, Beer Dinner at the Perfect Pear Cafe in Bradford, VT. The dinner begins at 6 PM and features a four-course meal perpared by chef/owner Adam Coulter. The menu looks divine! (See below). You may call (802) 222-5912 to make a reservation.

This is our first true beer dinner pairing at a restaurant, so it it truly exciting! What's even more exciting is that culinary wizard and homebrewer-turned-pub-brewer Adam is making the Perfect Pear Vermont's newest brewpub! Yes, indeed. If we get lucky, pehaps Adam will even have some of his house-brewed beer on tap for the dinner.

For those of you in attendance, I also anticipate breaking out a few vintage or special bottles to share in addition to what you see listed on the menu....it'll be a surpise!

PERFECT PEAR - BEER DINNER FEATURING
LAWSON’S FINEST LIQUIDS
WEDNESDAY,APRIL 28 @ 6 P.M.
$40/PERSON INCLUDES TAX
VEGETARIAN MENU AVAILABLE WITH ADVANCE REQUEST

WEISS-K
PICKLED FIDDLEHEAD & WHEAT BERRY SALAD

PERMAGRIN RYE PALE ALE
ROBIE FARMS PIERMONT CHEESE SOUFFLE

CHINOOKER’D INDIA PALE ALE
PORK ROULADE WITH SMOKED PAPRIKA SAUCE

FAYSTON MAPLE IMPERIAL STOUT
MAPLE WALNUT ICE CREAM BROWNIE SUNDAE

Cheers!

Maple Tripple - 2010 World Beer Cup Winner!

2010-04-13T11:52:00.004-04:00

Yes, you read that right. Our tiny 1bbl brewery, competing against breweries from around the globe scored a medal!

Maple Tripple - Specialty Beer category - 2010 World Beer Cup® - Bronze Medal!!!!

The World Beer Cup® is now the largest and perhaps most prestigious commercial beer competition in the world!

Here's the official word from the Brewers Association:

"Brewers from six continents earned awards from an elite international panel of judges this week in the 2010 Brewers Association World Beer Cup - the world's largest-ever commercial beer competition. The eighth bi-annual competition announced awards to brewers from 19 countries ranging from Australia and Italy to Iceland and Japan. This year, 642 breweries from 44 countries and 47 U.S. states vied for awards with 3,330 beers entered in 90 beer style categories."

Lawson's tiny Vermont brewery, in a state known for its Maple Syrup, pulled off an unlikely victory, by bringing home bronze in a competition of some of world's most renowned and biggest breweries! Our Maple Tripple ale is a very special, once-a-year beer that is onlymade at the end of maple sugaring season. The base of this beer is made with 100% concentrated maple sap, which replaces all of the water in the brewing process, giving this beer enticingly rich and complex maple flavors and aromas. Maple Tripple is 10.1% alcohol, so it is truly a sipping beer! It makes an excellent pairing with a chocolate dessert or fresh sliced strawberries and whipped cream drizzled with pure Vermont maple syrup.

The 2010 Maple Tripple ale was brewed just last week and is bubbling away with fermentation as I write to you, making this an especially timely event! The beer takes several months to mature and will be ready for the first bottling in late summer.

We are honored to be recognized among the world's best beers!

Cheers!

- Sean and Karen Lawson

SEE the following links for more info and a story on WCAX-Ch.3 News!

http://www.worldbeercup.org/

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=12298176

http://www.wcax.com/global/video.asp?clipId=4697437&autostart=true

The Nanobrewery Movement

2010-03-31T10:20:00.003-04:00

So, to preface this post let's get to the announcement first: TONIGHT!

7pm - E. Warren School House Market/Rootswork - I'm giving a talk entitled "On Brewing Excellence: Beer Hobbyist to Entrepreneur" and we'll be sampling up some Liquids. The store will also be open and stock up (briefly!) on two varieties of Lawson's for sale in bottles.

I've read a lot lately on the web and blogs about "Nanobreweries". Heck, I didn't even know *we* are a nanobrewery or that the term existed until about six months after we opened and people started calling us just that. At the time, I wasn't sure if it was an insult or a compliment. Now I know that there is real movement out there, all across the US, of very small community-based breweries that make beer in tiny batches for their very local customers. What is 'Nano'?Most people think the range is generally 10 gallons to 3 barrels - a barrel is an old English measure of beer and is 31 gallons, but its the industry standard for volume.

There are at least 35 nanobreweries in existence that have been listed on various websites, but I'd be willing to bet that there are more we don't even know about. Here are a few lists on blogs and some nifty writing about them:

Hess Brewing Odessy

TopFermented

Trillium Brewing

What have other folks been saying? Well try any one of the gazillion blogs out there for some reading. Erik over at his blog TopFermented.com wrote an intriguing piece on the movement and is interested in opening his own (nano?) brewery some day. To sum it up, he is fascinated by the idea, but daunted by the seemingly crazy idea of a potentially not-so-sound business model (a tiny brewery). He thinks that to succeed we must either be 1) independently wealthy or supported by a well-off partner; 2)"batshit crazy insane"; and/or 3) headed for a bankrupt future...us nano-brewers, that is. He raises some really good issues, and I can see that he really wants the idea to work. I agree with him on the 'crazy' part :) - you've got to be a bit mad to quit a good full-time job to start your own business....*any* business. Nano-brewing can be a risky venture, and every "industry expert" will tell you NOT to start a production brewery that is smaller than 15 bbl (a brewery that packages and sells beer - no on-site brewpub). In the face of these challenges and odds, though there are now dozens of these tiny breweries making a go for it. Time will tell how successful we are, just like any business venture, lots will start and many will likely fail too. Fortunately the risks are much smaller with a nano-brewery than a full-scale production brewery, and your not going to rack up six or seven figures of debt in the process.

So, Erik's post got me thinking in the right direction for the talk I have tonight. My response/comment to his post (below) sums up what I plan to talk about tonight (along with some background on my own history, the basics of the brewing process, and of course some banter about each of the styles of beer that I present.) So....please....read on! And thanks for visiting.

__________________________________________________________________

Hey Erik,

I’m fascinated with your fascination and enjoyed reading your post. We started our ‘nano’ in Vermont over two years ago, and it was big success right from the get-go. I think you’ve got it now, and had most of it in the first place. The people behind nano or really small breweries start out because they have the passion and desire to follow their dreams, with a mix of many of the reasons you listed. You’ve got to have some money to start, many of us keep some income stream on the side (part-time for me), we have spouses/partners/friends that help pull off the work or support the household, lots of us have little kids and brewing small close to home means more family time. We’re a little (or a lot) mad like crazy, we probably sleep less than your average person, and we work some wizardy AKA magic everytime we put together a mere collection of barely, hops, water and seasonings with that crafty little critter Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the yeast cell, and turn it into this beautiful beverage we call beer. OK, so I’m romanticizing here. But, for me, it really is an act of creation, and people in small (and big) communities are very attracted to food/beverage/goods that are crafted locally by people they know.

Yes, there are the logistics and they are what will make or break your business. Like licensing, debt, cost of goods, sales price, volume of production and all that necessary but essential business work like marketing, sales, distribution, taxes, and so on. But I digress. The point is that if you make a quality beer it will sell itself. Nano or community-based breweries have a very engaging and local story that connects them to their customers and to retail and draft accounts. Our experience has been that people are willing to pay a lot more for a quality ‘local’ beer, one you have to come here to central Vermont to try or buy, and that they are willing to travel from all over to find us!

I brew two 1bbl batches each week and bottle about 1/3 and the rest goes into 5 gallon kegs for our draft accounts. We have five draft locations, one retail store (where 8+ cases sells out every week), plus I crank out a bit more into bottles for special events and farmers markets (where in VT you can sample and sell wine and beer directly as a manufacturer). In VT, you can self-distribute through a separate, licensed wholesaler (read: costs more but well worth it). Its just enough that I can manage the brewing and distribution all myself, with support (especially on the family front) from my amazing wife. We’re having a blast along with way, have garnered a really great following, and are poised to grow with a long list of accounts waiting to order the beer once we do. The lesson for me is to follow your dreams with a well thought-out, researched (and slightly crazy) plan AND make sure you put your quality of life measures first (how do you want to spend your time?). As my great friend Jeff “Sparks” Bercuvitz puts it – create yourself a “good life index” where you list, categorize, and prioritize all the “INGS” of your life (being with family, brewing, sleeping, etc.). If you can plan your life around those priorities AND open a nano brewery at the same time…..man, you’ve made it to beer nirvana!

Cheers! – Sean Lawson, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Vermont

Quick Update

2010-03-25T23:02:00.002-04:00

Hey all,
BIG thanks to every one that celebrated our 2nd Anniversary with us (whether you were there in person or not!)

Just to let you know, as usual we are working hard to keep the ever-elusive supply of bottles on the shelf at the Warren Store, where it seems to disappear daily. Coming for this weekend, (2 bottle limit) is the fresh batch of Hopzilla Double IPA and the Fayston Maple Imperial Stout. The Permagrin Rye Pale Ale will be quick on their heels, followed by a new twist on the Crooked Cabin Ale next week. Yes, I like to tinker with recipes, so if it seems different...it is!

On tap now:
Mad River Glen - Fayston Maple Imperial Stout
American Flatbread, Waitsfield (Fri, Sat eves) - Permagrin Rye Pale Ale
Pitcher Inn, Warren - Crooked Cabin Ale (as of 3/26)
Common Man, Warren - Permagrin Pale Ale
The Village Porch, Rochester, VT - Porch Pint Ale (you never know ;)

Upcoming soon, with more details to follow, lots of exciting dates on the calendar ahead!

April - IPA Month at Flatbread/Zero Gravity Brewing Burlington - Lawson's on tap, TBA date.
April 22 - Earth Day with Lawsons Finest Liquids at Three Penny Taproom, Montpelier, VT.
April 28 - Beer Dinner at the Perfect Pear Cafe (and soon to be brewpub!) in Bradford, VT
May 22 - Brattleboro Brewers Festival! Look for the inaugural release of a colossal new(aged) brew
July 16-17- Vermont Brewers Festival!!!

Lawson's Finest 2nd Anniversary Party!

2010-03-15T09:43:00.003-04:00

St. Paddy's Day, Wednesday March 17!

This week we will celebrate our second anniversary in fine fashion at the place where we sold our very first keg of beer, in the Stark's Pub at Mad River Glen ski area in Waitsfield, VT. Several special kegs of beer will be tapped at 6pm and live music with Sugar Shack will start at 7pm. The pub will be serving food so that you can have dinner or light fare while you enjoy your brews and boogie! Many thanks go out to our supporters and everyone that has made it possible for us to be in the business of creating beer one barrel at a time (most especially my lovely wife Karen!)

Here's the line-up for the evening:

Wannagrin Rye IPA, 6.5% abv - a special collaboration brew with Our Lager Boys of the Wanna Brew Club here in the Mad River Valley. Brewed with rye malt and hefty additions of fresh whole-cone hops, in true Chuck D. style!

Crooked Cabin Brown Ale, 5.5% abv - our English-style inspired brown ale with a round malty character.

Fayston Maple Imperial Stout, 10.1% abv - Hefty, complex and full of roasted and burnt character, all balanced by a subtle maple and malt sweetness. Great to pair with dessert or a piece of dark chocolate.

Hopzilla Double IPA, 8.7% abv - Double dry-hopped version! Wicked strong and intensely bitter, this brew is designed for hop fiends and to terrorize your taste buds.

Woodchuck Stout, 5.7% abv - Vanilla Espresso version! - This special one-time release for our anniversary will occur when one of the other kegs runs out....or it will go into bottles the next day!

I'll also be raiding the vault to bring some very limited edition bottles to the event, including the 2009 Maple Tripple Ale and the 2009 Farmhouse Rye in both Oak-aged and standard versions!

Cheers!
--Sean

Montpelier Farmers Market - March 6th

2010-03-05T21:08:00.003-05:00

A quick note to let you know what I will have to offer in bottles and for sampling at the Market tommorrow.

I'll definitely be bringing the following:

Hopzilla Double IPA

Honey I Love You Ale - new brew, featuring a sweet full body of honey flavor

Paradise Ale - our hoppy American Amber

I am still finishing up labeling and even some bottling tonight, so *tentatively* I will also be bringing these brews:

Fayston Maple Imperial Stout

Starkbier! - weizenbock wheat style ale

Permagrin Rye Pale Ale

Cheers!

SWEET 16!

2010-03-01T09:00:00.002-05:00

Hey Friends great news!

Lawson's Finest Liquids - Chinooker'd IPA has advanced to Round 4 and the Sweet 16 in the National IPA Championship!!!! 128 beers started this tournament and only 16 competitors are left. The grand titan of American IPA's is up next against Lawson's - Union Jack IPA from Firestone Walker in California is the reigning champion, two years running, of the Great American Beer Fest. Cheer us on all the way!

Don't forget - this Saturday March 6 - Montpelier Farmers Market and Wed. March 17, Lawson's 2nd Anniversary Party at Mad River Glen.

2010 National IPA Championship

2010-02-23T09:59:00.005-05:00

Lawson's Finest Liquids is pleased to participate in the 3rd Annual National IPA Championship held by Brewing News! This head-to-head competition pits the best India Pale Ales from around the country in a round robin style tournament to crown the champ. 128 entries started the competition two weeks ago, and now 32 remain - including our own Chinooker'd IPA! In the first round, the Chinooker'd knocked off the esteemed Rouge Brewery's Brutal Bitter, and in the second round we won out against a smaller brewery out of Washington - Black Raven Brewing's Trickster IPA. You can check out all the match-ups at www.brewingnews.com/nipac, where you can also follow our progress, and even print out a hoops-style bracket for the beer world's version of March Madness!

BREWING UPDATES

The President's week holiday brought many visitors, skiers, riders, and beer lovers to the Mad River Valley! As a result, Lawson's supply took a heavy hit and unfortunately, we ran out of beer at several establishments this past weekend. Thanks for your understanding in that we have a tiny brewery and the demand for our local, hand-made beers is very high! My apologies if you went looking and didn't find any at your favorite spot. The good news is that I've been brewing like mad the last several weeks to get some extra batches going.

This coming weekend, you'll be able to pick up bottles of the freshest batch of Paradise Ale, my new amber ale that is packed with juicy hop flavors and a crisp malt profile. I also will be debuting soon our newest offering - a special one-time batch called Honey I Love You Ale! It was brewed with over 15 pounds of Vermont honey per barrel and fermented with a Kolsch style yeast. It has a sweet finish with bountiful honey flavors!

Here's what's on tap around town:

Pitcher Inn Tracks Pub, Warren - Crooked Cabin Brown Ale

Mad River Glen, Fayston - Fayston Maple Imperial Stout, followed by Hopzilla Double IPA

Common Man, Warren - Paradise Ale (Thurs, 2/25)

American Flatbread, Waitsfield - Paradise Ale and/or Honey I Love You Ale

Village Porch, Rochester - Paradise Ale

Warren Store - Whateveryoucanfindifthereisanyleftinbottles Ale! Yes, its hard to keep the shelves stocked at the Warren Store, but thankfully, they are rarely empty for more than a day. As such its difficult to predict what you might find there. In the near future, you might find the Paradise Ale, Honey I Love You Ale, and perhaps next week a delivery of the Hopzilla Double IPA. Call ahead to 496-3864 if you want to make sure they have some in stock before you trek to Warren.

SAVE THE DATE!

To wrap up this post, let me leave you with a couple of dates to take note of for March.

March 6 - Lawson's Finest at the Montpelier Farmer's Market from 10am - 2pm

March 17 - Lawson's Finest 2nd Anniversary Party with live music from Sugar Shack and special guests at Mad River Glen - Stark's Pub!

Cheers! - Sean

Montpelier Farmers Market - Batch 100!

2010-02-06T02:23:00.003-05:00

Today at the winter Farmer's Market in Montpelier, VT, Lawson's Finest will debut several varieties for you! Celebrating our 100th batch in bottles, we bring you the inagural release in bottles of the Oak-Aged Fayston Maple Imperial Stout! Keeping in theme, my carefully tended and oaked version of the 2009 Farmhouse Rye will also make its first appearance. To round out the offerings, you'll be able to try and buy a fresh batch and return of the Crooked Cabin Ale, an English-style brown, Chinooker'd IPA, my standard hop-bomb, Starkbier!, a winter weizenbock wheat ale, and the regular version the Fayston Maple Imperial Stout. As if that was not enough variety for you, I'll be bringing the last case of of my new Imperial IPA - Hop Song. Hope to see you there!

What a Year!

2010-01-27T21:06:00.004-05:00

2009 is gone, and 2010 is well underway. My first New Year's resolution - to blog more often - is about as successful as everyone who said the would lose 20lbs this month! At least I've been busy cranking out some tasty brews for all you! I hope to post a re-cap of the highlights of the past year, and some hopes and goals for the coming year, but for now, I'll let you know what's up this week.

Our new Paradise Ale is on tap all around! You can find it at American Flatbread, The Common Man, and the Village Porch. Mad River Glen is featuring our newest hop-bomb, Hop Song Imperial IPA, while the Pitcher Inn has the Permagrin Rye Pale Ale on tap (almost gone!). At the Warren Store, you may find the Chinooker'd IPA or the Paradise Ale this weekend.

New Brews

Starkbier! is our winter wheat beer, a weizenbock style of German-inspired dark strong beer.

Paradise Ale is a hoppy amber ale that is crisp, bright, and juicy.

Karen's Kolsch is our lightest offering yet, a 4% ale brewed with only Pilsener and Vienna malts, Hersbruker hops, and a kolsch-style yeast.

Hop Song Imperial IPA is a twist on on our Hopzilla recipe using different hops and a slightly higher alcohol content...watch out!

I've got some oak-aged Fayston Maple Imperial Stout ready to go! Aged for two months on American Oak, giving this rich dessert beer another layer of depth and complexity.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Lawson's Finest will be vending at the Montpelier Farmers Market this winter and spring on three select dates: February 6th, March 6th and April 17th. Like the Waitsfield Farmer's Market, we'll be offering sample tastings and bottles for sale. Visit me there for the official release of the 2009 Farmhouse Rye! A sneak preview of this beer appeared at the Beverage Warehouse of Winooski back in December (only 6 bottles) and what's most exciting is that I have four different kegs, each with a different treatment going into bottles. More on that later....

We'll celebrate our second anniversary on St. Paddy's Day, March 17 with an evening event featuring music, light food, and mucho Finest at Mad River Glen ski area! Hope to see you some time soon.

As always, if you are looking for more up-to-date information or have a question, please don't hesitate to contact me. Visit our website, http://www.lawsonsfinest.com/ for contact info.

Lawson's Cask at Three Penny Taproom!!!

2009-12-10T17:11:00.004-05:00

News Flash!

Tonight the Three Penny Taproom in Montpelier, VT is debuting a brand new Lawson's beer, and our first offering in cask from that place high on the hill, which we affectionately call the The Sugarhouse Brewery, AKA Lawson's Finest Liquids.

Pirata's Darkness is an American Dark IPA, brewed with a blend of high-alpha US grown hops. This special cask was dry hopped in the firkin with fresh 2009 crop Cascade whole-cone hops, and gently carbonated with a small addition of Vermont Maple Syrup. It rings in at 6.66% alc./vol. and is on tap, right now! Boogie on over and grab a pint before its gone. It may well last until Friday, but you can call first to verify.

On draught, we are offering up our "Starkbier!" - a strong, German weizenbock-style dark wheat ale. It is brewed with 100% German imported malts, noble hops, and a special weizen strain of yeast. 8.1% abv.

Cheers!

Sean

An Evening with Lawson's Finest at Zero Gravity

2009-11-05T22:03:00.006-05:00

November 10, 2009 - 5 pm to 11 pm

The culmination of the second collaboration between Lawson's Finest and Zero Gravity brewpub at Flatbread Hearth in Burlington takes place next Tuesday!

Thanks to the generosity of Paul Sayler and brewer Destiny Saxon at the Zero Gravity, Lawson's Finest and ZG have teamed up again! We scaled up a recipe based on my hoppy Papelblonde Ale and brewed it back in early October. Still ruminating on a new name...Think blonde, hop-forward American pale ale type of beer. If you want to nominate a new name please send an email to me at lawsonsfinest AT inbox.com. If we choose your name, some Lawson's goods are your reward.

We're pulling out all the stops for this one folks!

Yes indeed, we'll be topping our VT Brewers Fest offerings with TEN different brews on tap, which for VT's smallest brewery is no small feat. There are several special beers that were made just for this event, and I'll be pulling some bottles from the 'vault' to open during the evening. Hope you can make it!

As a bonus, we are delivering some bottles to the Beverage Warehouse in Winooski thru our distributor the same day for a very limited Burlington area offering. Ask Jeff Baker at the BW, as they may not be on the shelf.

Here's the official word from WobblyJeff at ZG/AF who's also pivotal in making this event and our collaboration:

"Straight from the Green Mountains to our tap lines. We have been planning this one for over a year. Finally us folks in Burlington will get some Lawson's action in tap form. The lineup has us salivating...plus a few surprises in bottles. Do not miss this one. Seriously."

BEER LIST

Blonde Ale (to be renamed!) - hoppy, blonde and dry APA. 5.5%

Power Flower Harvest Ale - session ale brewed w/100% VT hops! 5.0%

Starkbier! - Strong dark German-style weizenbock (wheat) beer. 8.1%

Hopzilla Double IPA - Hop Bomb, period. 9.0%

Brettzilla - Hopzilla Double IPA aged for months on Brett. 9.0%

'Oaked' Fayston Maple Imperial Stout - Aged 2 months on oak. 10.1%

292 Hoptoberfest Ale - Our dark amber American style fall seasonal. 5.5%

Dunkelweiss - German-style dark hefeweiss bier. 5.6%

Permagrin Rye Pale Ale - A hoppy APA brewed with malted rye. 6.0%

Big Hapi IBA - American-style imperical black ale - a sticky bitter and dank stout-IPA2 fusion! 7.5%

UPDATES

*Rock Art Brewery wins their battle with Hansens Beverage, maker of Monster Energy drink!

*Lawson's at Three Penny Taproom - redux....watch for an early December return to Montpelier.

*Starkbier! - a strong and dark German-style wheat beer will debut on 11/10 and be featured thereafter at General Stark's Pub at Mad River Glen. You can look for it on the shelf at the Warren Store occasionally, staring sometime the week of 11/9.

What's on tap?

Common Man in Warren - Permagrin Rye Pale Ale.

American Flatbread in Waitsfield - Power Flower Harvest Ale - last keg of the year on Friday 11/6!

Village Porch in Rochester, VT - The Porch Pint, currently is the Hoptoberfest, 292 Ale.

The Pitcher Inn is closed for their fall "stick season" break and will reopen on 11/25.

Hope to see some of you on Tuesday - Cheers!

Waitsfield Farmer's Market

2009-10-17T01:57:00.003-04:00

A quick note to let you know what we'll be offering at the Waitsfield Farmers Market on Saturday, October 17. I raided the cellar for another release of two cases of the 2009 Maple Tripple and the first bottled of this fall's Fayston Maple Imperial Stout will be there too!

Beer List

292 Hoptoberfest Ale (22oz)

Permagrin Rye Pale Ale (22 oz)

Big Hapi IBA - American style Imperial Black Ale (750 ml)

Fayston Maple Imperial Stout (750 ml)

2009 Maple Tripple Ale (750 ml) - only 200 bottles made

As always, I'll be pouring two ounce sample tastings at our tent and have bottles for sale. Dress warmly! Great news is that we are planning to also be a part of the Thanksgiving Farmers Market to happen at the Round Barn Inn on Sunday, 11/22.

Lots more to update you on and will do another post this week to include:

Rock Art vs. Monster Energy drinks (Boycott Monster - BUY Vermonster!)

An Evening with Lawson's Finest at Zero Gravity brewpub in Burlington

More special brews on the way!

In the meantime, please raise a glass and toast the passing of a pioneer, legend, author, co-founder of the Vermont Pub and Brewery, and one of the most kind, generous, and amazing individuals on the planet - Greg Noonan, rest in peace, October 11, 2009.

Jeezum, October?!

2009-10-02T12:59:00.006-04:00

Hey Folks,

Fall is flying by, and yes there is snow on the summits of Lincoln Peak and Stark Mtn. this morning! Yikes, my skis are way dusty, and the firewood is not yet put up! What's a brewer to do? Brew more beer of course!

SIPTEMBERFEST 2009

What a huge success! Thanks to Megan Schultz Events and Designs, and Mike W., F&B wizard at MRG for pulling off what some have already dubbed as the "best beer festival in Vermont!" And to think that it was only our first time around. Big thanks also to everyone who participated, as when the dollars are all counted, we will have likely raised nearly $1,000 for the Mad River Path Association. It was great to have the likes of the Alchemist, Bobcat, Trout River, Rock Art, Otter Creek (with a cask!), Zero Gravity, Long Trail, Magic Hat, Switchback and yours truly pouring up some fine brews outside on the deck of the lodge on what was the best weather day of the entire fall. Beautiful! I promise next year, I'll get the word out on the blog BEFORE the event. As it turns out, we didn't need it. The event sold out in only about 2 hours at the door thanks to the huge interest in great beer and a spectacular fall foliage day paired with scenic rides on our 'Old Faithful' at MRG - the single chair. Likely close to a thousand people cycled thru the place over the course of the day.

FALL BREWS

The single-batch edition of my Stony Hill 'Local Hop' Harvest Ale is just about gone. Get yourself over to American Flatbread in Waitsfield tonight 10/2 if you want a pint of what's left. Brewed with hops grown right at the brewery. My first batch of fall wheat beer - a German-style Dunkelweiss is ready and bottles will be headed to the Warren Store this weekend. You'll also find it on tap in General Starks Pub at Mad River Glen. At the Common Man, you can sample one of my latest hoppy creations - the Permagrin Rye Pale Ale. Rings in at 6.0% abv and has enough lupulin to chew on! The Pitcher Inn's cooler is down, so they do not have any beer on tap right now. Down at the Village Porch, you can sample the fall's first batch of my Hoptoberfest 292 Ale. Lots more of the 292, Dunkelweiss, and Permagrin are on the way along with BIG HAPI set to make a fall debut in another week or so. Looking ahead, I just brewed my second batch of Fayston Maple Imperial Stout for the cold months ahead. Mmmmm. The first batch has been in kegs for a month now and is aging beautifully! I'm going to try and get some bottles of it out there at the next Farmers Market...read on.

UPCOMING EVENTS!

Exciting news to share with you....Another collaboration is in the works with the great peeps at Zero Gravity/Flatbread Burlington Hearth, Paul Sayler and Destiny Saxon. We are likely to brew a batch next week for our November gig - Lawson's Night at Flatbread on Nov. 10. Mark your calendars! We'll have 6-8 different Lawson's brews on tap, and some special bottles 'from the vault'. We'll be brewing up a 10bbl batch of Papelblonde Ale to be served at the event and well beyond.

An just a couple weeks away is the debut of Lawson's Finest at The Three Penny Taproom, a now renowned little beer bar in Montpelier, VT. We'll be tapping up a keg of double dry-hopped Hopzilla Double IPA that I created just for this event! Thursday, October 15 is the date, and the keg is not likely to last beyond the night, so boogie on over if you can make it.

On October 24, Lawson's will be participating in special one-day event called "Celebrate Vermont Beer" at the Two Brothers Tavern in Middlebury, VT. Come sample 25+ different Vermont beers and celebrate yourself.

Finally, on October 17, we'll be at the last official Waitsfield Farmer's Market for season, offering sample tastings and bottles for sale from 9 am to 1 pm.

Cheers! - Sean

Harvest Time

2009-09-01T22:13:00.004-04:00

Is that the sound of crickets chirping?? Yes indeed! Not sure if its just the silence on this blog, or by jeezum its already September! Summer does have a way of getting crazy busy and going waaaay to fast! Its been a whirlwind since the VT brewers fest, and Lawson's has lots of great things in store for you. Literally, IN the store!

I did a beer tasting at the Warren Store this past Saturday, 8/29, and offered up six varieties, including a limited release of the 2009 Maple Tripple Ale (10.1% abv). Those few bottles, (out of only 200 made for this year) are now on the shelf at the Warren Store, along with some bombers of a special batch of Big Hapi India Black Ale that I brewed for Kenny & Jenny's wedding (ala Alchemist fame). Also in the cooler at the Warren Store is the Maple Nipple Ale and Papelblonde Ale. Tomorrow, I'll deliver more Maple Nipple Ale and the Crooked Cabin brown ale which is only available for a short time...too many other beers to make to get back to that brew anytime soon!

At our regular draft accounts, look for the Maple Nipple at the Common Man restaurant, Weiss-K wheat bier (hefe) at the Pitcher Inn, The blonde Porch Pint at the Village Porch, and Chinooker'd IPA at American Flatbread in Waitsfield this weekend.

What's exciting and new you ask? LOTS! I say. I'm very excited about SIPtemberfest 2009, a beer tasting event I am helping to organize at Mad River Glen (mini-brewfest) on Sat. Sept. 26! I just brewed my fall Stony Hill Fresh Hop Harvest Ale yesterday! I used about 2 lbs of my own Willammette hops, grown just a few feet from the brewery, harvested and dried on-site (thanks for the help pickin' Dave!) for the finish on this light american ale. Today, I brewed my fall wheat bier, a German Dunkelweiss. If you have any creative names, let me know by email! I will post more details about the MRG event soon.

Until next time.....Enjoy!

VERMONT BREWERS FESTIVAL! July 17-18, 2009

2009-07-17T10:28:00.005-04:00

Hey all,

Here we go! Hope to see you there....time for blast off!

VT BREWFEST – LAWSONS FINEST SCHEDULE/STAFF
FRIDAY PM – SERVING 6-10 PM.
Beers POURING

1. Chinooker’d IPA

2. Fayston Maple Imperial Stout

3. Papelblonde Ale

4. Red Spruce Bitter (English style yeast)

5. Hopzilla Double IPA

6. Brettzilla – Hopzilla finished with on Brettanomyces. Slight wild/sour character

7. Chinooker’d IPA – cask conditioned

BACK UP BEERS – to be tapped when above runs out **2009 Maple Tripple

SATURDAY DAY – SERVING 12-4 PM
1. Chinooker’d IPA

2. Fayston Maple Imperial Stout

3. Weiss-K wheat bier

4. Red Spruce Bitter (American style yeast)

5. Hopzilla Double IPA

6. Maple Saison – Belginan-style maple ale finished with Brettanomyces. Slight wild/sour character.

7. Chinooker’d IPA – cask conditioned

SATURDAY NIGHT – SERVING 6-10 PM
1. Chinooker’d IPA

2. Fayston Maple Imperial Stout

3. Weiss-K wheat bier

4. Papelblonde Ale

5. Hopzilla Double IPA

6. Maple Saison – Belginan-style maple ale finished with Brettanomyces. Slight wild/sour character. (IF LEFT from earlier session)

7. Chinooker’d IPA – cask conditioned BACK UP BEERS – **2009 Farmhouse Rye
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Lawson’s Finest Liquids, BEER DESCRIPTIONS – VT Brewers Fest. 7/17 & 7/18

Chinooker’d IPA - Our award-winning India Pale Ale is a hop lover’s delight, chock full of citrusy and resinous Chinook goodness! Careful, more than one will getcha schnocker’d! ~ 7.2% a/v

(ALSO available cask-style, carbonated naturally in the keg!)

Fayston Maple Imperial Stout – A huge, rich, and strong stout brewed with a maple twist. Designed to keep you warm on sub-zero nights and for sipping with a fine meal or dessert. ~10.1% a/v

Weiss-K – One of our lightest offerings, this German style wheat bier is best served up fresh and ‘mit hefe’ (with yeast). Bursting with fruity aromas and a hint of spice from our weizen yeast. ~5.0% a/v

Papelblonde Ale – Light in color, yet big in flavor, our American blonde ale is part of a tribute to our favorite New England baseball team! It offers a bright clean flavor and crisp finish, but packs a hoppy twist. ~5.4% a/v

Red Spruce Bitter – A special seasonal brew made just for the VT Brewers Fest! Infused with fresh spring buds and sprigs of the red spruce tree, a dash of cinnamon, with a light body and refreshing zest. ~ 4.9% a/v

Hopzilla Double IPA – This monster of an India Pale Ale will make you pucker up! Loaded with high-alpha US grown hops and enough malt backbone to balance the intense bitterness. Dry hopped and wicked strong to terrorize your taste buds. ~8.7% a/v

Maple Tripple— Enticing, rich and complex. This creation defies easy description. Brewed with 100% Lawson’s Finest maple sap and an extra addition of maple syrup to send you over the edge! ~10.1% a/v

2009 Farmhouse Rye – Brewed once a year, this brew using rye, barley and wheat borrows from Wallonian tradition in creating a unique ‘house brew’. Fermented with a Belgian Saison yeast, finished with a champagne yeast for extra dryness, carefully aged and bottle conditioned. ~9.0% a/v

Brettzilla – Hopzilla Double IPA, finished and aged on Brettanomyces ~8.7% a/v

Maple Saison – Maple Tripple base beer, fermented with a saison yeast, and finished with Brettanomyces. ~10.1%

Big Brew Day!

2009-06-18T23:15:00.027-04:00

On Wednesday, June 17 it was my honor and privledge to be the guest brewer at the Zero Gravity - American Flatbread brewpub in Burlington, VT. Huge thanks go out to brewer Destiny Saxon and founder/head brewer Paul Sayler for inviting me into their brewery! The idea started with finding a way for Lawson's Finest to produce enough beer for the upcoming Vermont Brewer's Festival on July 17 & 18 on the waterfront in Btown. Paul graciously extended to offer to do a guest brew, enabling Flatbread to serve up a Lawson's recipe during the fest week and for me to have the kegs needed for the crowd. Wow, was this fun!

We brewed a scaled-version of my Chinooker'd IPA - a hop bomb for sure! On to the pictures...

Just above is the brewhaus - the brewkettle on the left and mash tun (top) and the water control panel. Picture below is the hot liquor aka hot water tank.

The malt mill...grinding up the malt...mmm Gambrinus Pale Ale malted barley, special aromatic, carapils, and pale crystal malt.

Dough-in...the milled grains mix with hot water at the top of the mash tun, and pour in, slowly filling it the tun.

Stirring the mash...a happy hoppy brewer!

The vorlauf = recirculating the mash liquid to raise the temperture and set the grain bed for lautering and sparge water. Next, the run-off (transfer of mash liquid) to the brewkettle.

The first hops addition to the brewkettle...loads and loads of Chinook hops! Boil for 1 hour, add LOTS more hops, and high hopes!

After the boil is over...and the finished wort is being transferred to the fermenter...this is near the end, you can see the hop cone in the bottom of the brewkettle.

The heat-exchanger, oxygen port, sight glass, and thermometer...boiling hot wort chills to 68F degrees in a matter of seconds!

The fermenters...the Chinooker'd IPA is being transferred from the kettle to fermenter.

A whole lotta spent grain! Waiting for a farmer to pick it up

Cleaning out the mash tun

Ahhhhhh yes! End of the brew day and Destiny and Sean enjoying a few beers. Cheers!

PS - on tap this weekend 6/20...Weiss-K wheat bier and Papelblonde at American Flatbread, Waitsfield and in bottles at the Warren Store (might be a few bottles of Chinooker'd too!). Papelblonde at the Pitcher Inn, Maple Nipple Ale at the Common Man and the 'Porch Pint' blonde at the Village Porch.

Summer's Almost Here

2009-05-28T10:59:00.015-04:00

Hey Friends,

Sorry to repeat, but, its hard to keep with the blog these days. I will try to get you more regular updates on what's brewing...but no promises! I do promise to get you a photo of our madly growing hops next update, which btw will never keep up with the vigor of the bines growing down that the Alchemist. Check out his blog pics! Now John does have a 1000' of elevation less than here on the side of Lincoln Mtn and a longer growing season to boot...

This picture is a favorite reminder of summer - paddling, camping, and sippin' some of my buddies tasty homebrew...which when gone floats nicely back to the rig! At an undisclosed location somewhere in northern Vermont.

This week, we'll be making our second Farmer's Market appearance in Waitsfield on Saturday, May 30. I'll have the Weiss K wheat bier, Papelblonde Ale, and Chinooker'd IPA for sale in bottles with samples too. The double-batch of 2009 Maple Tripple is cellaring in kegs right now, and boy its a doozy! Will clock in just over 10% again this year, but with more maple character than I've ever been able to get before. Bottles of this limited edition brew, or as I call it a "once-a-year-beer" will only be released for sale at the Farmer's Market this summer and fall.

The Warren Store will be getting Papelblonde Ale on the shelf tomorrow, get it while you can...I'm sure they'll be cleaned out before the weekend is over. The Pitcher Inn and Village Porch have the Papelblonde and Porch Pint respectively, while The Common Man continues to feature the Maple Nipple Ale as their house "Lawsons" brew on tap.

Over at the Alta Day Spa next to the Pitcher Inn in the Village of Warren, Joannie is working up a special treat for "Men's Month" in June. She is creating a special exfoliant and pedicure soak with hops from Lawson's Finest! Mmmmm. You can grab a bomber across the street at the Warren Store and sip while you relax to wafting aromas of Cascade hops. So, dads out there, you know what to ask for Father's Day now.

I'm working up some stashes for the Vermont Brewers Festival in July....MMM. I can tell you I'm hanging onto some kegs Fayston Maple Imperial Stout (10%) that will have been aged 4 months for the fest. I'll also be releasing an experimental beer, that will be called BrettPA or maybe Brettzilla! Its my Hopzilla Double IPA, aged on Brettanomyces for months in a keg. I'll also be doing a up a special batch of spruce beer, as many of the VT Brewers are doing as a feature for this year's fest. In addition to that, look for some additional maple curiousities, our regular rippin' Chinooker'd IPA, PapelBlonde Ale, and the Weiss-K.

Until next time....

Lots-O-Brew News

2009-05-01T12:14:00.006-04:00

Hi all,

Pressed for time as always these days...in a flash format here's an update. (Couldn't resist posting the cute photo of Jade Carolyn :-)

Well-stocked Warren Store has Weiss-K wheat bier, Chinooker'd IPA, and Hopzilla Double IPA on the shelf right now. Papelblonde Ale on the way soon.

Comman Man and Pitcher Inn re-open after mud-season hiatus with Maple Nipple Ale and Papelblonde Ale respectively. The spring "Porch Pint" is the Maple Nipple Ale, down in Rochester at the Village Porch. This weekend (5/1-2), Flatbread in Waitfield will be pouring the Papelblonde.

Went to the Craft Brewer's Conference in Boston last week...great time, super contacts, and whoa, the beer! This visit got me jump started on the next round of improvments to Lawson's Finest, with new taphandles, glasses, and possibly equipment by this fall.

WAITSFIELD FARMERS MARKET

May 16th is the first date of the Waitsfield Farmer's Market...and I'll be there offering tastings and bottles for sale! This year's dates are scheduled to be as follows:

May 16, May 30, June 13, June 27, August 1, October 17, and October 24.

VERMONT BREWER'S FESTIVAL -- July 17 & 18

I am psyched to be part of this fantastic festival for my second year. Making the leap from the VIP tent (RIP...) to the main event. There are many exciting changes in store for this year's festival to improve the experience for beer lovers and brewers alike. Tickets go on-sale on May 15 and the fest is sure to sell out. Click on the link above to visit the official VBA website for more detailed info on the fest and online tix sales. If you are interested in volunteering at the festival, go to the VBA website. If you are intested and volunteering for Lawson's Finest, get in touch with me.

GUEST BREW

I can't tell you how excited (and grateful) I am about this one....we are working on arrangement for me to be a guest brewer at another Vermont brewery, which will allow me to brew up a BIG batch (whoohooo!) and provide an adequate volume of beer (like 4+ barrels!) for the Brewer's fest. It also means Lawson's Finest will debut as a guest beer on tap at one of Vermon't fine brewing establishments. Once we nail down the details, I'll reveal a bit more info on this one.

That's all for now...cheers!

Papelblonde Baby!

2009-04-15T23:44:00.005-04:00

Whew, a month flew by since my last post. As you can imagine, I've been a busy man with a new baby in the house, a family to tend, and beer to be brewed! In the meantime, the ski season has wrapped up at Mad River Glen, the worst of mud season has come and gone already in these parts, spring is in the air, and there are a lot fewer people around town.

That means...Papelblonde Baby! I brewed up my first batch of the 2009 season on Jade's actual day of birth, can you believe it?! I got an early AM start back on 3/12 and Karen went into labor later that day, giving birth that evening. Well that special batch of Papelbaby is gone already, but more is on the way. It also means baseball season is here, we've been rooting the Sox, listening to the radio out in the brewhaus, and brewing up my seasonals for spring and summer. Weiss-K wheat bier, my own take on a German-style hefeweizen is back too.

Big news over at the Common Man restaurant is the new draught beer system! So now you can find the Maple Nipple Ale on tap at this fine establishment. (note, only open Th, Fr, Sa during spring).

ON TAP: I'll have the Weiss-K on tap at American Flatbread this weekend. The last few bottles of Papelblonde are at the Warren Store, and on Thurs (4/16) will deliver the Maple Nipple Ale and Hopzilla Double IPA there. The Pitcher Inn is currently closed for a week. At the Village Porch in Rochester, VT we got the Maple Nipple Ale being offered up as the Porch Pint for sugaring season and spring. Look for a return to the light and hoppy Porch Pint after that.

Thanks to everyone that came out for our 1st Anniversary Party at MRG, it was a great time. I hope it won't take me a month to get to the next post. Cheers!

Lawson's Birthday!

2009-03-16T23:40:00.003-04:00

What a week!

Baby Jade Carolyn Lawson was born this past Thursday March 12th, 2009! She is a sweetheart.

We celebrate the B-day of Lawson's Finest Liquids on Tuesday, March 17th...one year old!

Here's a beer list of what we'll have on tap for the evening:

* Red Head Irish Ale

* Chinooker'd IPA

* 292 Ale

* Fayston Maple Imperial Stout

* Hopzilla Double IPA

* Maple Nipple Ale

* 2007 Hillside Hard Cider

And...from the Vault...in very limited quantity bottles

2006 Fayston Maple Imperial Stout

2007 Maple Tripple (ale, lager, and belgian styles)

2007 Farmhouse Rye - saison style belgian ale

2008 Maple Tripple Ale

And more surprises! Hope to see you there.

Lawson's 1st Anniversary

2009-03-03T23:48:00.004-05:00

It started with sudsy dream nearly 20 years ago. Back in college, I learned how to brew my first batch of beer with a good friend, Matty RAF. Many journeys, lots of encouragement and years later, I embarked on the effort to launch my own brewery. In 2006, we started by forming the business "Lawson's Finest Liquids, LLC" and broke ground on the humble building that now houses the 'Sugarhouse Brewery'. In January 2008, I received approval for our federal permit or Brewer's Notice from the TTB, and soon had my Vermont liquor licenses in hand. Finally, that fateful day arrived and on March 17th, 2008, we made our first sale, and tapped the first keg of Sugarhouse IPA at Mad River Glen ski area, in Waitsfield, VT.

One year later, I raise my glass to you beer lovers! To mark this special occasion, we are planning a small celebration in the Stark's Pub at Mad River Glen on St. Paddy's Day, March 17th, 2009 from about 6 to 10 pm. Please join us for special pours of Lawson’s brews and tastings of rare bottles from the vault! Live music starts around 7 pm with the fine tunes of the Phineas Gage project, featuring James Kinne, Erica Stroem, and Rob Williams. Cash bar and light food fare will be offered. For directions,visit http://www.madriverglen.com/. Watch for a beer list to be posted in the week prior to the event here on the blog. Please forward to friends of good beer. Thanks for your all your support during our first year as Vermont’s smallest microbrewery! - Sean

In other beer notes: Now on tap

- Fayston Maple Imperial Stout at Mad River Glen

- Big Hapi IBA at the Pitcher Inn

- Hoptoberfest at The Village Porch (Th-Sun)

- 292 Ale at American Flatbread (Fr, Sa)

And....Chinooker'd IPA will arrive in 22oz bombers at the Warren Store tomorrow!

Salut!

Warren Store tasting

2009-02-14T00:25:00.005-05:00

Hey friends,

busy, busy...the President's Holiday week has arrived and the Valley is a buzz with activity. At Mad River Glen, look for the unvieling of a limited-edition house beer this weekend. On tap at Flatbread is our Knock-Yer-Hops-Off IPA (6.5%), my latest incarnation of a favorite hoppy style of beer. This is the commercial debut of this IPA and our entry in the National IPA Competition (see previous post).

On Sunday, 2/15, Lawson's Finest will be at the Warren Store, offering samples of three varities. Our newest IPA, a few select bottles of Hopzilla Double IPA, and a yet to be annouced, fresh out of the cooler, just bottled brand new never relased before special one time only BEER! Ok, I'm getting carried away. Why not? George Carlin is my inspiration here (see some of his recorded material if you are perplexed). See you there!

Got Hops?

2009-02-07T11:38:00.004-05:00

We do. Lots of them. The 2008 crop is in to our supplier in January, and as a result, I've been experiencing hop maddness...or perhaps its just that I am a hophead. A plethora of hoppy beer brewed the last few weeks is going to be hitting the shelf and tap soon.

On draught this weekend at American Flatbread in Waitsfield and on the shelf at the Warren Store, you'll find the Fistful-O-Hop IPA. It should be available in bottles thru the coming week. Down at the Pitcher Inn, Big Hapi India Black Ale (IBA) is on tap. The usual offerings of Maple Nipple Ale at the Common Man and our Hoptoberfest style Porch Pint at the Village Porch. At Mad River Glen, look for the return of Hopzilla Double IPA, likely today (when the Nipple is licked).

Looking ahead, we are wicked psyched to "in the bracket" in the National IPA Championship, organized by Brewing News. Check out the details by clicking the link above or here.

A brand-new IPA is part of this competition - "Knock-Yer-Hops-Off" IPA. It is loaded with high alpha US grown Cascade, Centennial, Magnum, and more. Rings in at over 100 IBU, 6.5% Alc./Vol. and a solid malty body to balance the pucker factor. If you are drooling now, mark your calendar for Sunday, February 15th, when I'll be at the Warren Store from 1-4 pm, offering samples of KYHO IPA and bottles for sale, along with other TBA liquids. Check back here in another week, I'll have more details on the tasting posted. Salut!

2009-01-30T13:10:00.007-05:00

Grab a Nipple - If you can

Maple Nipple Ale, that is....It went on tap yesterday at Mad River Glen, on a big powder day, and was kicked the same day. This strong and smooth amber maple ale is deceiving at 9.0% so watch out! It will back on tap for Saturday at Stark's Pub. Saturday night, if you have tix, swing by the Lawson's station at the MRG Gala.

At the Warren Store, the cases fly off the shelf as fast as I bring them in. Currently they have Fistful-O-Hop IPA, but not for long.

Big Hapi IBA is on tap at Amercian Flatbread
this weekend, and downstairs in the Tracks Room pub at the Pitcher Inn every night (closed Tuesdays). Now, get out there and enjoy the snow!

Big Hapi is back

2009-01-25T22:43:00.003-05:00

On tap at the Pitcher Inn. Big (7.5% a/v), dark and bold. This batch features new mix of hops, a chocolate and roasty body, and enough lupulins to match. We'll be brewin' this one up for the rest of the winter. It'll be on tap at American Flatbread next weekend (1/30). May be February before bottles hit the Warren Store. A very limited number of Hopzilla and Fayston Maple Imperial Stout are available at the WS now. 292 Ale bombers are almost gone. Up at the mountain, keep warm with a glass of that FMIS by the fire in Stark's pub...looking sub-zero again.

The 60th Anniversary Mad River Glen Gala should be a blast. Check out the details at http://www.madriverglen.com/. It looks sold out at this point. We'll be groovin' to the tunes of the Big Basin Band, and sippin' some Big Beers on tap with the trio of Lawson's Finest winter offerings at MRG - Maple Nipple Ale, Fayston Maple Imperial Stout, and Hopzilla Double IPA.

Beer Update

2009-01-17T11:09:00.002-05:00

Hey Friends,

Just a quick update on what you can find from Lawson's at our various outlets.

Warren Store - Just a few bottles left of Red Spruce Bitter, and plenty of Hopzilla Double IPA. If you don't see the Hopzilla (its over by the wine racks in corked magnum bottles), just ask the friendly Warren store folks.

Mad River Glen - We tapped a fresh batch of Fayston Maple Imperial Stout today. Perfectly high-octane for this absolutely freakin' arctic weather. The best anti-freeze around. 10.1% ABV of roasted maple madness. Oh yeah, we hit -27F yesterday morning in the valley...YIKES!

American Flatbread, Waitsfield - Our Hop Haze IPA is on tap, and they are open Fri, Sat, Sun for the MLK holiday weekend.. This one is quite hazy from the abundance of lupulins and dry-hopping.

The Common Man - Maple Nipple Ale (9%) in 12 oz. bottles as always.

The Village Porch - The Porch Pint, 'Hoptoberfest' style ale will be on tap until spring.

The Pitcher Inn - My apologies, we are still trying to catch up from the holiday madness, and are currently out at the PI. Look for a fresh batch arriving next week.

Cheers!

New beer for the new year

2009-01-09T23:14:00.007-05:00

WOW! Your taste buds might be scared (or scorched) as HOPZILLA has arrived. Lawson's latest release is a hop monster of a double IPA and this is the first time this recipe has been brewed for sale. HOPZILLA is loaded with over 4 lbs of hops per barrel and is dry hopped with Cascade. The first keg went on tap today at Mad River Glen, and its going fast. Look for bottles to appear in the Warren Store some time early next week. In the meantime, a fresh round of Red Spruce Bitter is on the shelf there as of today.

I've been brewing double batches since the new year, trying to re-stock after the holiday craziness, but still trying to catch up. Our friends at American Flatbread and the Pitcher Inn have to wait until next week before the first batch of Fistful-O-Hop IPA of the new year arrives, so they are all out this weekend. Around town, Maple Nipple bottles are available at the Common Man, and the Porch Pint on tap down in Rochester at the Village Porch.

Looks like an artic freeze is settling in...so grab a strong one and get close to the woodstove. Cheers!

Happy 2009!

2009-01-03T22:03:00.015-05:00

Welcome and thanks for visiting! This is the first installment of what I hope will be frequent updates to keep you informed about the latest liquid offerings from our small brewery and where you can find them. You can get more detailed information about us at our website.

So what's up?! The holidays cleaned me out of brew...literally. The end of 2008 brought a flurry of buying and the last of the holiday beers - our Red Spruce Bitter - is on tap right now at American Flatbread and is likely already sold-out at the Warren Store (bottles). Across the road at the Pitcher Inn the Papleblonde is sold out! Sadly, Warren will be dry of Liquids for sale until Friday the 9th of January - our next round of deliveries. Check back for the goods.

Down the road in Rochester, VT at the Village Porch Restaurant, Dean and Connie are serving up Lawson's Finest "Porch Pint" a special brew created just for their establishment. The winter version is dark copper in color and aggressively hopped...we call it a 'Hoptoberfest' style ale. They are open Thurs. - Sun. Over at The Comman Man Restaurant in Warren, Keith is serving up the Maple Nipple in 12 oz bottles. They are open Tues.-Sat.

Up at the mountain in General Stark's Pub at Mad River Glen, the Maple Nipple (9%) is on tap, and only one more day to get it for now. Unfortunately, the great last thaw of 2008 on the weekend of Dec. 27-28 really wiped out the snow. MRG has been limping along with just the practice slope open since 12/29. The mountain will be closed Monday 1/4 thru Thursday 1/8, unless we get some major snowfall before then. Again, Friday the 9th looks to be the golden day! Next up at the River? Watch out, it's HOPZILLA, one of my double IPA's.

See our website for more info about the Strong Beer Series at MRG. Hope 2009 brings you the best.