Next Glass, a leading global provider of software and experiences to the beverage alcohol industry, today announced the acquisition of Hop Culture, a digital magazine and event company catering to craft beer enthusiasts.
“The Hop Culture team has built an engaging and important platform with voices and events that resonate within the industry,” said Trace Smith, CEO of Next Glass. “We’re excited and proud to welcome a brand and team with values and a vision that so closely mirrors our own.”
Founded in 2017 by journalist Kenny Gould, Hop Culture got its start promoting small, independent craft breweries via their Instagram and digital magazine. Over time, the company also grew to include a popular merchandise line and event series.
“Hop Culture couldn’t be more excited about this partnership,” said Gould. “At Next Glass, Trace and his team have put together the largest network of beer drinkers in the world, and we look forward to working with them to continue producing compelling content and world-class events.”
In 2017, Hop Culture held its first Juicy Brews Craft Beer Festival in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which sold out in under ten seconds. The following year, Hop Culture held its first Beers With(out) Beards Festival, the world’s largest beer festival featuring only female brewers, business owners, vendors, and entrepreneurs. To date, Hop Culture has thrown 30+ beer festivals and maintains one of the largest craft beer Instagram accounts in the world.
Hop Culture’s ongoing collaborations with respected brands in the beverage alcohol space will provide opportunities to further connect with audiences of other Next Glass-owned platforms, Untappd, BeerAdvocate, and Oznr. Nearly every U.S. brewery and nearly 12,500 international breweries maintain their Untappd brewery pages, and Untappd for Business serves almost 4,000 breweries globally with a menu publishing software.
About Next Glass
Founded in 2013, Next Glass develops software and creates experiences that connect enthusiasts, retailers, and producers in the beverage alcohol industry. The Next Glass family of brands serves the unique and varied needs of the industry via multiple platforms. Its award-winning Untappd mobile application and BeerAdvocate website are used by millions of beer enthusiasts around the world and its menu publishing software tool, Untappd for Business, enables venues to streamline publication and promotion of their beer, wine, cocktail, and food menus while Oznr, the leader in direct to consumer technology for the craft beverage industry, partners with craft producers to manage their membership programs, can/bottle release pre-sales, and event ticketing. The Company’s recently-introduced Untappd Marketplace enables alcohol resellers to streamline ordering of beer, wine, and spirits from wholesalers and self-distributing breweries. The Company’s Live! division produces world class festivals and events for the Untappd and BeerAdvocate communities.
About Hop Culture
Hop Culture is a daily online lifestyle magazine for craft beer enthusiasts. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the company also offers a line of custom merchandise and hosts craft beer festivals across the country.
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