New York City’s dynamic nightlife satisfies most every subculture and hedonistic impulse. Korean karaoke parlors serve 3 a.m. soju, elevated cocktail bars roost in skyscrapers, and bands blare everything from Afrobeat to zydeco. But to Sarah Hallonquist and Loretta Andro Chung, one category was lacking: lesbian bars, of which just three existed as recently as 2022.
In 2017, Andro Chung co-founded Dyke Bar Takeover to bring pop-up queer parties and LGBTQ+ artists to straight bars and spaces. Hallonquist volunteered at events. They bonded over their love of beer, lamenting that few mainstream beer brands catered to the queer community outside of Pride Month. “That’s what we call ‘rainbow capitalism,’” Hallonquist says. “Our community deserved better.”
When nightlife darkened during the pandemic, Hallonquist and Chung, who respectively work for pharmaceutical and marketing companies, brainstormed turning Dyke Bar Takeover into a full-time job. Bars were closed but people still drank beer, and cans could be another conduit for communicating their mission. In early 2021, they debuted Dyke Beer, working with Brooklyn’s Wild East Brewing to create an approachable saison, the label featuring a dog and cat playing pool. “Every old-school dyke bar tends to have a pool table,” says Hallonquist. Dyke Beer now offers five
This Article was originally published on IMBIBE Magazine
