This week, we sit down with Tara Hankinson and LeAnn Darland, the co-founders and co-CEOs of Talea Beer Co. — one of New York City’s fastest-growing and most beloved breweries. Tara and LeAnn share the winding paths that brought them from the Navy, Google, consulting, and the New York Times into the world of craft beer, and how a chance job interview led to forming Talea just three months after meeting.

They walk through the early days of contract brewing, hand-packing six-packs in the back of a van, and landing Whole Foods as their first major retail account through a mix of hustle and “ignorance is bliss” ambition. The founders also unpack why Talea’s brand intentionally breaks from traditional craft beer aesthetics, how their corporate backgrounds gave them an edge in building a professionally run brewery, and why their brick-and-mortar taprooms are the backbone of their business model.

From fundraising across 150+ small investors, to navigating the challenges of today’s alcohol market, to scaling from one Williamsburg taproom to a growing NYC footprint, Tara and LeAnn offer candid insights into what it takes to build a hospitality-focused, design-forward brewery from the ground up. We hope you enjoy.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:16 Founding Stories: From Navy to Brewery

04:52 The Journey to Entrepreneurship

07:45 Building a Business Partnership

10:33 Launching Talea: The First Steps

13:00 Securing Distribution: The Whole Foods Experience

16:00 Branding and Design: Crafting a Unique Identity

18:49 Corporate Backgrounds: Misconceptions and Insights

21:38 Navigating Challenges in the Brewery Industry

30:33 The Dual Role of a CEO

31:22 Navigating the Fundraising Journey

34:07 Building a Business from the Ground Up

36:59 Challenges and Opportunities in the Craft Beer Market

40:01 Optimizing Operations and Expanding Taprooms

44:36 The Importance of Relationships in Business

47:32 Surprising Moments and Personal Connections

50:50 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs