This month marks a decade since DCBeer.com first launched as the local online hub for beer lovers and homebrewers. In that time, we have been the DC-metro area’s top source for information about the craft beer scene. Our region has seen phenomenal growth in the past few years, with breweries of all sizes entering the market, more restaurants and bars engaging craft beer lovers, more and bigger craft beer events, and side businesses like tour companies popping up to serve the community. Through it all, the DCBeer team has either covered these happenings, or helped build them, or participated in them.
During that time, co-editors Bill DeBaun and Jake Berg and a half dozen writers (and even more contributors beyond them) have run DCBeer as a labor of love. As time has passed, however, we’ve come to realize that the site just hasn’t kept up with the exploding beer scene.
To take the site to the next level and begin an exciting new next act, the site is bringing in a new publisher to start its second decade. Richard Fawal, owner of digital content company Junto Media and co-host of the podcast The Brew Daddies, will take the helm starting January 1, 2019, to focus on expanding the content and services offered from DCBeer.com.
“Our content is great and our team has a wealth of experience, expertise, and community connections,” Berg said, “but we know the site could be more, and we all want to see it take that next step.”
“That’s why we’re excited about this,” DeBaun added. “It’s as an opportunity to stay relevant by providing service that matches the scale of the community.”
Fawal has been in communications and content development for three decades, working with political campaigns, trade associations, nonprofits, businesses, and think tanks. For the last year, he's been building Junto Media around podcasting, including The Brew Daddies, a show about breweries and the business of brewing.
“Over the last year, I’ve had the opportunity to meet dozens of local beer lovers, brewers, bartenders, and business people who are part of this scene,” he said. “I’m really excited to bring my expertise to help grow DCBeer into an important resource to support everyone in the community.”
There are a few priorities in the new year for Fawal, including a complete website rebuild and an outreach effort to the community to help determine what content and services will be most useful. In addition, he hopes to identify partnership and sponsorship opportunities that will generate revenue he can invest in more and better resources and tools for beer lovers, producers, retailers, and others. He’ll also be looking to recruit top-tier writers and contributors to bring fans of beer the very best in DC-based beer writing.
“The mission of DCBeer is to efficiently connect craft brew businesses and craft brew consumers through a range of experiences,” he said, “My goal is for homebrewers, commercial brewers, restaurant groups, tour companies, and craft beer fans to know DCBeer.com is the go-to place for everything beer-related in the DC area.”
Stay tuned for more updates as we embark on this important next step. Thanks to all of the readers for their support over the years; it’s because of your passion and interest that the site has persisted and thrived for so long.
