Having stepped onto the scene two and a half years ago to resounding success with their two Brooklyn taprooms, New York City’s first and only women-owned craft brewery, TALEA Beer Co. announces rapid expansion with two new Manhattan taprooms: TALEA West Village opening today, Friday, October 13, and Bryant Park in December 2023.
The Company, helmed by co-founders LeAnn Darland and Tara Hankinson, has been diversifying the beer industry with its complex sour and fruit-forward brews, buzzy collaborations, and above all, the promotion of inclusivity and community in their colorful spaces. With both Williamsburg and Cobble Hill locations booming, cans sold wholesale at retailers like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, and beer on draft at top restaurants and bars across the city, TALEA is now bringing its hospitality-focused experience to Manhattan.
TALEA West Village will be located on the historic Christopher Street, which is known to be the oldest street in the West Village and for being a major part of New York’s LGBTQ+ history, with the famed gay bar Stonewall Inn, site of the Stonewall Uprising. Meanwhile, the Bryant Park taproom overlooks one of Manhattan’s most beautiful green spaces. Both spaces will offer an all-day experience with espresso, light bites, and free Wifi. The full menu includes artisanal wines, cocktails, non-alcoholic options, cheese boards, and other shareable plates.
Founders Darland and Hankinson left their corporate jobs in tech and media to launch female-led TALEA – the name born from a blend of the women’s first names – when they realized there was a void in the booming male-dominated industry. Since opening their Williamsburg brewery and taproom in 2021, Darland and Hankinson have been committed to collaborating with female-founded and like-minded companies. Examples include past innovative collaboration beers such as the “Super Smoky Lager” with Fishwife, a woman-owned tinned fish brand focused on ethically sourced and fresh ingredients; partnerships with local female-founded favorites such as Levain Bakery, who collaborated on a Dark Chocolate Cookie Stout inspired by their famed indulgent cookies; a fruited sour with pink guava, passion fruit, and raspberry based on the renowned Guava + Cheese donuts from Fan-Fan Doughnuts, a Brooklyn-based women and Latina owned bakery; and, most recently, a collaboration with popular probiotic soda brand, OLIPOP, to create a Strawberry Vanilla Cream Ale inspired by one of the brand’s most popular flavors, the Strawberry Vanilla sparkling tonic.
“As two women leading a company in a male-dominated field, we make a pointed effort to highlight other female voices within our community in New York, the beer industry and beyond,” says LeAnn Darland, Co-Founder, TALEA Beer Co. “We want to ensure our mission of inclusivity and challenging perceptions translates to the consumer side, creating space and support for everyone to feel welcome.”
For their two highly-anticipated Manhattan openings, TALEA has tapped an all female team for the thoughtful design and construction of both spaces. Each taproom will reflect the unique history and communities of their respective neighborhoods while also celebrating the colorful nature, spirit of inclusivity and playful aspect of the TALEA brand. Woman- and minority-owned architecture and design firm, Alda Ly Architecture, known for past projects that focus on empowering women and creating dedicated female-forward spaces [Tia, The Wing, Parsley Health], spearheaded architecture and interior design for both spaces, with women-owned contracting firm Aerial Design + Build [Dante West Village, Sona] orchestrating construction.
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