LeAnn Darland and Tara Hankinson started TALEA Beer Co. with the aim of creating a brand and experience built on values of inclusivity. Those ideals have taken them to new heights as unique partnerships and noteworthy growth defined a meritorious 2023 for the first and only wholly female-owned brewery in New York City.
This success has positioned it as a major player in the metropolis’ beer scene and solidified its founders’ influence and prowess as business leaders in the field.
After opening two taproom spaces in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Williamsburg and Cobble Hill in 2021 and 2022, respectively, TALEA expanded to Manhattan this year. A new location can be found on Christopher Street in West Village, an integral part of New York’s LGBTQ+ story, and includes a space called “The Snug” that pays homage to the secret areas in speakeasies designated for women to drink publicly (the building was erected at the height of suffrage). A second location was added near Bryant Park, tapping into the midtown commuter crowd.
But on-premise success isn’t what defines TALEA, which increased retail sales to about 1,000 accounts in 2023, including Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. The brewery will end this year with production around 5,500 barrels, three-times more than what they made in 2021 and up 1,500 barrels from last year.
This sales surge speaks to Darland and Hankinson’s savviness in marketing, as the pair has been able to boost brand awareness and customer engagement in ways that feel true to their values. Most notably, through buzzy collaborations with fast-growing, like-minded brands outside of the beer space: a Strawberry Vanilla Cream Ale with OLIPOP, the wildly popular prebiotic soda, and the Super Smoky Lager with Fishwife, a sustainability focused and trendy tinned-fish company that is also female led.
As TALEA heads into 2024 with four fully operating locations, staff has grown to around 70, with around two-thirds identifying as female. Darland and Hankinson haven’t just changed their own business this past year, but are reshaping craft beer in New York City.
Words,Niko Krommydas