DRAFT Magazine
Draft Magazine is an independent digital media publisher producing beer reviews, style guides, homebrewing tutorials, brewing trends, and a local breweries directory for enthusiast readers worldwide, monetized through display advertising and affiliate commissions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersPhoenix, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What DRAFT Magazine does
Draft Magazine is an independent digital media publisher operating as DraftMag.com from Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 2006 and structured as a private for-profit company with 11–50 employees, it produces editorial content targeting beer enthusiasts ranging from novices to connoisseurs. Coverage spans beer reviews, style guides (e.g., Belgian, pastry stout, blonde, amber, saison), homebrewing how-to/recipes/equipment, brewing trends, and a directory of local craft breweries. The site claims a global editorial footprint across the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia, and is led by co-founder and editor-in-chief Erika Rietz.
The platform is built on WordPress with no proprietary technology layer. Supporting tooling consists of Google Analytics for traffic measurement, Google AdSense and Facebook Ads for advertising, and MailChimp for email newsletters. There is no native mobile application, no public API or SDK, no disclosed patents, and no proprietary data assets. Content is freely accessible to readers without paywalls.
Revenue is generated through two streams: display advertising (served via Google AdSense and managed through a partnership with CMI Marketing, Inc. d/b/a CafeMedia) and affiliate commissions (including the Amazon Associates program). The company operates with claimed editorial independence, has no disclosed parent company, no venture or institutional ownership, and no recorded funding rounds, acquisitions, or major strategic transactions. Distribution relies entirely on organic SEO, Facebook, Instagram, and the email newsletter.
DRAFT Magazine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DRAFT Magazine
- Legal name
- Draft Magazine
- Website
- https://draftmag.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Draft Magazine is an independent digital media publisher producing beer reviews, style guides, homebrewing tutorials, brewing trends, and a local breweries directory for enthusiast readers worldwide, monetized through display advertising and affiliate commissions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DRAFT Magazine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Beer Media Publishing
- NAICS
- Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Home, Garden & DIY Magazines (MPAJAEAG)
Keywords
Where DRAFT Magazine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Phoenix
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
DRAFT Magazine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Advertising: Draft Magazine generates revenue through display advertising. The site uses Google AdSense for serving advertisements and Facebook Ads conversion tracking. The publication is affiliated with CMI Marketing, Inc. d/b/a CafeMedia for placing advertising on the site.
- Affiliate/Commercial Affiliation: The site earns commissions through affiliate links to shopping sites, products, and services chosen at the editorial staff's discretion. Amazon Affiliation program is mentioned as a commercial affiliation service used by the publication.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
DRAFT Magazine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DRAFT Magazine operates a free digital media publication focused on beer, providing editorial content such as in-depth beer reviews, beer style guides, homebrewing tutorials and recipes, brewing industry trend coverage, and a local craft brewery directory. The site serves beer enthusiasts and hobbyists globally across the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Product overview
Draft Magazine is a digital media publication centered around the world of beer, offering a comprehensive content platform covering Beer Reviews, Beer Style Guides, Homebrewing content (How-to guides, Recipes, Equipment), Brewing Trends, and Local Breweries Directory. The publication demystifies beer for enthusiasts and novices through in-depth analyses, tasting notes, and interviews with craft brewers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DRAFT Magazine Website
Companies that use DRAFT Magazine
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
DRAFT Magazine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
DRAFT Magazine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
DRAFT Magazine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- VinePair: VinePair is a digital media publication covering beer, wine, and spirits with reviews and educational content. It directly competes with Draft Magazine in the online beer/lifestyle publishing space with overlapping audiences and ad-supported revenue models.
- BeerAdvocate: BeerAdvocate is one of the most established online beer review communities globally, with extensive beer ratings, reviews, and style guides. It is a direct competitor to Draft Magazine's beer reviews and style guide content for craft beer enthusiasts.
- Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine: Craft Beer & Brewing is a digital and print publication focused on craft beer reviews, brewing techniques, and homebrewing. It competes directly with Draft Magazine across the same core content categories — reviews, homebrewing, and brewing trends.
- Hop Culture: Hop Culture is a digital craft beer publication focused on brewery features, beer reviews, and industry coverage. It targets the same craft beer enthusiast segment as Draft Magazine, with comparable editorial and brewery discovery content.
- Good Beer Hunting: Good Beer Hunting is a long-form craft beer journalism platform covering beer culture, brewing, and industry analysis. It competes for the same high-engagement craft beer readership and advertising pool as Draft Magazine.
Broad incumbents
- All About Beer Magazine: All About Beer is a long-established consumer beer magazine covering beer styles, culture, and industry news. It is a broader, more traditional publishing incumbent in the beer media category where Draft Magazine operates digitally.
- Imbibe Magazine: Imbibe is a media brand covering beer, wine, spirits, and coffee with reviews and educational content. It overlaps with Draft Magazine's beer coverage as part of a broader beverage publishing portfolio targeting similar enthusiast audiences.
- Paste Magazine: Paste is a digital lifestyle publication covering music, food, drink, and culture. Its beer and beverage coverage overlaps with Draft Magazine's content categories and competes for ad-supported lifestyle reader attention.
- Bon Appétit: Bon Appétit is a major food and beverage media brand producing beer pairing, brewing trend, and beverage editorial. Its scale and brand recognition make it a broad incumbent competitor for food/beer-related digital ad spending.
Emerging players
- Craft Brewing Business: Craft Brewing Business is a trade-focused publication for the craft brewing industry covering business, brewing technology, and trends. It overlaps with Draft Magazine's brewing trends content but primarily targets brewery operators rather than consumers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DRAFT Magazine social profiles
Digital presenceDRAFT Magazine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DRAFT Magazine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
DRAFT Magazine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DRAFT Magazine M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DRAFT Magazine
What does DRAFT Magazine do?
DRAFT Magazine operates a free digital media publication focused on beer, providing editorial content such as in-depth beer reviews, beer style guides, homebrewing tutorials and recipes, brewing industry trend coverage, and a local craft brewery directory. The site serves beer enthusiasts and hobbyists globally across the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Is DRAFT Magazine a public or private company?
DRAFT Magazine is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was DRAFT Magazine founded?
DRAFT Magazine was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is DRAFT Magazine based?
DRAFT Magazine is headquartered in Phoenix, United States, in the North America region.
How does DRAFT Magazine make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are affiliate/Commercial Affiliation.
Who are DRAFT Magazine's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are VinePair, BeerAdvocate, Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine, Hop Culture and Good Beer Hunting. Broad incumbents are All About Beer Magazine, Imbibe Magazine, Paste Magazine and Bon Appétit. Craft Brewing Business is listed as an emerging player.
Does DRAFT Magazine have an API?
No public API is recorded for DRAFT Magazine.
What industry is DRAFT Magazine in?
DRAFT Magazine's product category is Digital Beer Media Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAN, Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines, with a secondary code of MPAJAEAG, Home, Garden & DIY Magazines. Its NAICS code is 5131 and its SIC code is 2721.