TALEA Beer Co. is a women-founded and women-owned craft brewery based in Brooklyn, New York, built to make beer approachable for people the craft category has historically overlooked. Founded in 2018 by Tara Hankinson and LeAnn Darland and opened as a brewery and taproom in 2021, TALEA brews fruit-forward, lower-alcohol reinventions of classic styles and runs a growing network of design-forward taprooms across New York City, alongside a direct-to-consumer online shop, retail distribution in 1,300+ New York stores, and events.
Almanac Beer Co. is an Alameda, California craft brewery founded in 2010 by Jesse Friedman and Damian Fagan. Known first for oak-aged sours and farm-to-barrel ales inspired by the Bay Area's seasonal produce, the company has reinvented itself as 'Almanac Adventureland' - a 30,000+ square-foot brewery, beer garden and family entertainment destination inside a restored 1940s naval hangar, complete with arcade games, sandboxes, pizza, food pop-ups and festivals that draw up to 3,000 visitors on a peak day.
Aeronaut Brewing Company is a Somerville, Massachusetts craft brewery founded in 2014 by three grad-school roommates who brought MIT and Cornell science backgrounds to beer. Known for propagating its own house-cultured yeast and experimental recipes, Aeronaut pairs adventurous ales and lagers with a Somerville taproom that doubles as a food hall, live-music venue and community hub. In 2024 it merged with Dorchester Brewing Company under a new parent, Tasty Liquid Alliance.
Dokkaebier is an Oakland-based craft brewery brewing Asian-inspired beers that fold ingredients like kimchi culture, yuzu, lemongrass, Szechuan peppercorns, galangal and bamboo leaves into familiar styles. Founded in 2020 by beverage-industry veteran Youngwon Lee and named after the mischievous, drink-loving spirits of Korean folklore, the company set out to build a more representative craft beer scene while making flavors that stand out. Its lineup - led by the experimental Kimchi Sour and the approachable Yuza Blonde - is sold direct-to-consumer online and has been distributed across California and beyond.
Narragansett Brewing Company is New England's storied lager brand, founded in 1890 in Rhode Island and once the largest brewery in the region. After the brand nearly vanished in the early 2000s, Rhode Island native Mark Hellendrung and a group of local investors bought it back in 2005, rebuilt its reputation around the classic Lager and the 'Hi, Neighbor, have a Gansett!' slogan, and in 2021 finally brought brewing home to a new 18,000-square-foot brewery and taproom in Providence's Fox Point neighborhood. Today it is an independent craft brewer producing roughly 100,000 barrels a year.
Mark Hellendrung is the Rhode Island native who bought a fading 1890 beer brand for less than $100,000 and made it New England's again. As owner and CEO of Narragansett Brewing Company, he resurrected a lager that had nearly vanished, brought brewing back to Rhode Island after a 30-plus-year exile, and opened a waterfront brewery and beer hall on the Providence harborfront. Before beer, he ran Nantucket Nectars and coached the team at Magic Hat. His pitch has always been the same: stay homegrown, stay local, and don't sell out to the big guys.

Dois Corvos is Lisbon's landmark independent craft brewery, founded in 2013 by Scott Steffens and Susana Cascais in the Marvila district. What started with a homebrew kit brought from Seattle has grown into one of Portugal's most recognised beer makers — producing roughly 550,000 litres a year, maintaining ~350 oak barrels, exporting to eight-plus countries, and operating two taprooms — all while remaining 100% family-owned with zero corporate backing.