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(Courtesty BeerAdvocate)
On February 24 Next Glass, a software company that now owns Untappd, acquired BeerAdvocate a leading beer review site that’s been around since 1996. The sale reflects very real changes in the beer biz as well as in media in general.
To shed some more light on why this went down, we’ve republished an explanation for the sale by Todd Alström, who founded BeerAdvocate along with his brother Jason more than two decades ago…
BeerAdvocate and Untappd Have Joined Forces
I’m excited to announce that BeerAdvocate and Untappd have joined forces under the Next Glass umbrella. BeerAdvocate will maintain its distinct brand identity, and continue as its own community, website, series of events, and beyond.
We’ve been struggling to keep the lights on for over two years, and we still face some challenges, but I’m confident that this is the best path for all of us. Next Glass is committed to not only helping BeerAdvocate, but passionate about protecting and cultivating our unique culture, identity, and community.
I also have a lot of respect for what Greg Avola, Untappd’s Co-Founder and CTO, and team have built over the past nine years, and this next chapter is a great opportunity to explore new features and opportunities. Untappd brings over 100 talented coworkers, killer app development, and powerful sales and insights to the table. BeerAdvocate brings nearly a quarter of a century of advocating for beer, the benchmark for beer reviews, an awesome community, the internet’s largest beer forum, a decade of publishing experience and award-winning content, over 70 world-class beer events, and our “Respect Beer” motto.
Together, under one banner, BeerAdvocate and Untappd will explore ways to collaborate, strengthen both communities, and provide unmatched resources for its users and the industry.
It’s a bittersweet moment, but I’m excited for the future and look forward to working with my new coworkers in taking BeerAdvocate to the next level. And get ready, Brooklyn. Extreme Beer Fest cometh this September. More on that soon…
In the meantime, I’m sure many of you will have questions and concerns. I might not have all the answers right now, but I encourage you to post them and I’ll do my best.
As always, thanks for your support.
Sincerely,
Todd Alström Founder, BeerAdvocate
