app.rb

require 'base64'
require 'openssl'

require 'sinatra'
require 'sinatra/partial'
require 'sinatra/reloader' if development?

require 'resque'

require './email_sender'

configure do
    redisUri = ENV["REDISTOGO_URL"] || 'redis://localhost:6379'
    uri = URI.parse(redisUri) 
    $redis = Redis.new(:host => uri.host, :port => uri.port, :password => uri.password)

    $redis.set("test", "dope") # works
    $redis.get("test", "dope") # works
    # $redis is available anywhere in app.rb
end

$redis.get("test", "dope") # works