All About Beer, the media brand founded in 1979 that helped generations of beer drinkers navigate the dynamic brewing industry through news, education, and analysis, is back online following a two-year absence.
Veteran journalists Andy Crouch and John Holl recently acquired the All About Beer brand, digital assets, and editorial archive from former owners Daniel Bradford and Julie Johnson with a commitment to continue the company’s proud legacy and dedication to quality journalism in the beer space.
The original All About Beer began as a print magazine in 1979, and gained a reputation as a strong and reliable source for beer news, reviews, and features. It covered significant moments in beer history such as the 1980 announcement of Sierra Nevada’s formation and featured early profiles of future industry leaders Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head and Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing.
In 1992, Bradford and Johnson purchased All About Beer Magazine and expanded the company into popular beer events and the early internet, all while continuing its mission to cover trends and changes in the growing American craft beer industry.
After Bradford and Johnson sold the company in 2014, unfortunately its next chapter marked the beginning of its end. After a period of financial instability, the magazine ceased publication, the company that owned it closed, and then filed for bankruptcy in 2019. The magazine’s closure was a great loss to the industry and to beer journalism, but it also left subscribers, vendors, and contributors unpaid and in the lurch.
“That the long respected All About Beer Magazine ended an impressive 40 year run under these disheartening circumstances was a true disappointment to us and many others,” said Holl.
Holl and Crouch founded Beer Edge in 2019. The business focused company brings fresh content and insight into the beer industry through the lens of their combined more than 40 years of experience in beer. Beer Edge hosts podcasts including Drink Beer, Think Beer and The Beer Edge podcast, and more recently engaged with partner ProBrewer to provide business coverage of the beer industry on its website, ProBrewer.com. Beer Edge will continue its mission as will these programs and relationships.
When All About Beer’s bankruptcy concluded and the company and magazine closed for good, Bradford and Johnson regained control of the brand, digital assets, and the editorial archive. In early 2022, they agreed to sell these individual assets to Crouch and Holl.
“We are proud to add All About Beer to our media network and excited to uphold its legacy as a critical voice covering beer’s history while reshaping its role in the present-day beer culture,” said Crouch. “Stewardship of this esteemed and much beloved media publication remains central in our minds while we’re also energized to put our stamp on it.”
The duo is dedicated to revitalizing All About Beer and bolstering its reputation as a trusted and cherished information source that brings engaging original content to digital devices and opens the world of beer to every reader and listener. They are committed to providing the coverage that has long been the calling card of the brand, and plan to offer engaging and in-depth articles and interviews covering every aspect of brewing, from the process and ingredients to styles, trends, recipes, business, and the social pleasures of drinking.
Crouch and Holl intend to continue All About Beer’s tradition of hosting the finest writers, reviewers, and journalists covering beer today, while also expanding the roster to include new, diverse voices, to help us bring stories and podcasts to readers and listeners.
“This is a homecoming. Andy was a long-time subscriber and avid reader of the magazine who graduated into a frequent contributor to its pages,” said Holl. “In 2013, Bradford hired me to help guide the publication into the modern era of beer, and I was honored to serve as Editor of the magazine until 2017. All About Beer holds a revered place in our hearts and minds as we know it does for many other beer lovers and professionals.”
Crouch will undertake the Publisher role at All About Beer and Holl will again take up the title of Editor.
“For nearly four decades, All About Beer Magazine both documented and shaped a new phenomenon: the rise of craft or microbrewed beer, and its migration from the fringes to the mainstream of American culture,” said Julie Johnson, former co-owner and Editor of All About Beer. The magazine’s legacy is as much social history as it is the story of an emerging industry. It is very exciting to see that legacy being revived and reimagined for the future.”
“We hope that beer enthusiasts will visit the site, tune into our podcasts, and engage with us on social media,” said Crouch. “We cannot wait to reconnect you with this great voice and to again bring you meaningful news and stories about our favorite drink and the colorful characters who brew it.”