Meet The First Women- And Veteran-Owned Brewery In NYC
When you think about the craft beer industry, a certain stereotype might come to mind: bearded hipsters, bitter beers, and hyper-specific flavors that require a Google search to understand. For many of us, trying artisanal beer can be daunting. LeAnn Darland and Tara Hankinson, co-owners of Talea Beer Company, aim to demystify the world of beer so everyone can enjoy it.
The pair first met in 2018 while working at a beer e-commerce start-up. Darland and Hankinson bonded over their passion for brewing beer at home, but noticed a glaring issue in the craft beer market. The male-dominated industry seemed to advertise to a very niche demographic, leaving other beer drinkers on the wayside. So they left their corporate jobs and started Talea, which is a portmanteau of their names. Darland previously served in the Navy, making Talea New York's only women- and veteran-owned brewery.
Darland and Hankinson started out by hand-delivering their brews around New York City in a van. In 2021, the duo opened their flagship brewery and taproom in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Now, they offer over a dozen beers in differenty styles and have opened up their second location in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn.
The brewery focuses on low-bitterness beers with fruit-forward flavors that are distinctly approachable. And they use a wide range of brewing methods, from classic light ales to full-bodied IPAs. What they're best known for, however, is their rotating lineup of sour beers brewed with fresh fruit like watermelon, blackberry, and guava.
If you can't visit Talea's taprooms, you can order their beer for delivery on their website.
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