Influential Women of New York City
‘Boys club’ no more at W’burg brewery
Talea Beer Co., city’s fi rst woman-led taproom, opens in North Brooklyn
BY ROSE ADAMS
The fi rst female-owned
and woman-operated brewery
and taproom in New York City
opened in Williamsburg on
March 8, and the two mothers
behind the gender-pioneering
hops house are looking to create
drinks for women who have
shied away from craft beers because
of their masculine packaging
and bitter fl avors.
“For whatever reason, when
it became a boy’s club, there’s a
lot of craft beer that’s always
looking to ratchet things up
to the next level of intensity,”
said Tara Hankinson, who coowns
Talea Beer Co. brewery
with LeAnn Darland. “It’s not
very accessible to novice hop
palettes.”
Unlike the dark and heavy
India Pale Ales that modern
breweries typically sling,
Talea’s beers boast refreshing,
summer fl avors that often
include fruity twists. The taproom,
on the corner of Leonard
and Richardson streets,
features sours that contain
two pounds of fruit per gallon
— giving many of them bright
colors and an almost Kombucha
like fl avor.
“It’s easy to love, low in
bitterness, relatively low in
alcohol, and either utilizing
actual fruit or hops that have
fruity characteristics,” Hankinson
You Can Lose Up To 20-30lbs in 45 Days!!
COURIER L 24 IFE, MAR. 26-APR. 1, 2021
said.
Hankinson and Darland,
who both live in the neighborhood,
crossed paths in 2018
while working at a beer startup
called “Hopsy” in Manhattan,
and decided to start Talea
within three months of meeting
each other. Darland had become
interested in craft beer
during a stint in one of the
country’s beer capitals, San
Diego, where she was based
while serving in the US Navy,
whereas Hankinson’s love for
beer stemmed from her experience
working in food and
wine.
The pair launched Talea
Beer in 2019, and began selling
their brews in supermarkets,
but soon looked to expand with
their own taproom.
“We thought New York
City had an appetite for another
brewery, and hopefully,
a brewery like ours,” said Hankinson.
Hankinson and Darland,
who both have infant children,
purposefully created their
taproom to cater to women
and mothers of all ages with
a bright and family-friendly
atmosphere, a place to leave
strollers, and a menu with nonalcoholic
options. The taproom
also doubles as a coffee shop —
the space opens at 8 am, and
once it’s safe to open fully, the
owners hope to turn it into a
vibrant workspace during the
day.
In addition to reaching
women, Hankinson and Darland
are trying to bring women
into the craft brewing industry.
Few women work in beer
because most entry level jobs
require tough, manual labor,
Hankinson explained — and
without those jobs, it’s diffi -
cult to work your way up the
ranks.
“A typical keg of beer is 160
pounds,” she said. “That’s more
than I weigh, so how am I going
to get that down the stairs of a
bar in Manhattan? I can’t.”
Talea’s kegs weigh only 50
pounds, and rather than relegating
female employees to the
front of the house — as many
taprooms do — all the positions
at Talea rotate, meaning
that all the employees get to try
their hand at brewing.
Currently, 13 of Talea’s
17 taproom employees are
women, and Hankinson said
that she hopes to create a safe
and encouraging environment
for all her employees.
“Brewing just set up for
men to succeed and women to
not even feel qualifi ed to apply,
so that’s something we’re trying
to change,” she said.
LeAnn Darland (left) and Tara Hankinson (right) opened the Talea Beer
Co. taproom in Williamsburg on March 8. Sydney Butler
Free Consultation-
GET STARTED TODAY!!!
No Office Visits Required - Get Started
From Your HOME or OFFICE!!
917.444.3043
www.elitehealthcenternyc.com
BEST MEDICAL
BXM1 M102 M103 WEIGHT LOSS
/www.elitehealthcenternyc.com
/www.elitehealthcenternyc.com