Bad news, if you were a subscriber to the physical version of DRAFT Magazine who enjoyed getting one of the country’s better beer publications delivered to your doorstop—the physical magazine will be phased out by new owners All About Beer Magazine following an acquisition announced Wednesday afternoon. The consolation prize is that subscribers to DRAFT Magazine will now receive the physical All About Beer Magazine instead.
All About Beer is one of the O.G. American beer publications, in business for 37 years now—long before terms like “craft beer” or even “microbrews” had even been put into wide circulation. DRAFT, on the other hand, has made a name for itself as a higher-end beverage magazine since 2006, with a focus on oenophile and Cicerone tasting qualifications and high-quality drink reviews. According to the All About Beer press release announcing the merger, both brands will be maintained, although DRAFT will now exclusively be a web presence rather than a physical magazine.
“We are very excited to bring together these two trusted brands that are the leaders in covering the world of specialty and craft beer,” said Chris Rice, CEO of All About Beer, who acquired the company in 2014. “Combining these two leading brands gives us an even larger capability to expand our content and the way in which we tell the story of beer. I have admired DRAFT’s work for many years. The DRAFT team creates great stories and content that get people excited about beer and today’s brewers. We are excited to expand our capabilities by bringing these two teams together.”
“This merger is about a shared vision of how we plan to serve the craft beer industry in the future,” said Clancy Woods, CEO of DRAFT. “In addition to our award-winning content, our integrated solutions platform is designed to create value throughout the craft ecosystem. Our total focus is to help brewers of any size tell their stories, build their brands, and serve their communities.”