With its production facility named the Lomaland Fermentorium, and an onsite tasting room boasting a sensational mosaic of Michael Jackson created from thousands of post-it notes, consumers soon learn that Modern Times Beer isn’t your everyday craft brewery. Since launching two years ago in the Midway District by comic book enthusiast Jacob McKean, the warehouse has become home to a prolific line of aroma-driven beers famous for their hybrid styles. It has also spawned a coffee roastery on the same grounds, and a second tasting room in North Park called The Flavordome.
At Lomaland, visitors enter into a 2,000-square-foot space complete with ample seating options, including a spacious bar propped up by hundreds of hard-cover books. But the academia vibe quickly turns zany under the looming gaze of Jackson holding a monkey, which is positioned opposite another lofty wall plastered with comic-book pages from McKean’s collection.
Near the entrance hangs a series of curious, velvet portraits depicting the names and faces of the company’s key investors. They’re referred to as “the league of partygoers and elegant people.”
The bar is rigged with 16 taps; five of them devoted to core beers such as the Lomaland bright-rustic saison, the Fortunate Islands hoppy-tropical wheat ale, and the acclaimed Black House coffee stout, which maintains a 90-point “outstanding” rating by BeerAdvocate magazine. The other handles rotate weekly and focus on seasonal releases, pilot batches and “mysterious experiments,” many of which can only be found inside the company’s tasting rooms in the form of flights, pints and growlers.
The philosophy behind those beers: “Combine features from established categories to create new Island-of-Doctor-Moreau-style mash-ups,” referring to the fictional sci-fi doc from the namesake novel who transformed animal parts into hybrid humans.
Among the latest newfangled rollouts is Mega Blazing World, an imperialized, amber version of the hoppy core favorite, Blazing World.
“It’s a double-dry hop beer that will stick around for at least a few weeks, depending on sales,” says Modern Times’ chief operations officer Chris Sarette.
Also fresh from the tanks is an IPA named Floating World, made with rare South African hops.
“We were on a mission for a couple of years to acquire those hops, and we finally got them,” Sarette adds.
In its short history, Modern Times has produced 24,000 barrels of beer in the last year alone while offering regular monthly releases in cans, bottles and on draft. Sarette cites the hoppy “sessionable” pale ale, Oneida, as among the most popular since it was introduced on tap in late May.
“It developed a huge following very quickly, and we’ll continue re-brewing it for about three more months,” he says.
Currently in the making is Aurora, a red rye IPA that promises a unique flavor profile combining spiced malts and fruity hops. Sarette says it will be released in early September, noting that any of the seasonal brews can potentially repeat next year.
McKean founded Modern Times after working several years at Stone Brewing Company, choosing an inconspicuous warehouse where trade-show booths used to be manufactured. Its location on Greenwood Street, however, may seem dubious to some as visitors loop behind the Body Shop to get there, passing what is an adult entertainment business rather than an auto-mechanics garage. Though once inside, the atmosphere is decidedly G-rated, a welcoming gathering spot frequented by urban hipsters, and scented with the fragrances of beer and coffee beans.
Food isn’t served, but it can be toted in from numerous nearby restaurants and taco shops. And like its satellite tasting room in North Park, which happens to feature a mosaic of Yoda from Star Wars made of floppy disks, children are permitted if closely supervised by their parents.
Modern Times’ core beers are distributed in retail outlets along the West Coast and as far away as Berlin. In addition, their coffee beans have entered the market locally in places like Snooze in Hillcrest and in most locations of Whole Foods. Modern Times Lomaland Fermentorium Where: 3725 Greenwood St. (Midway District)
Hours: Noon to 10 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays, until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays
Contact: (619) 546-9694; www.moderntimesbeer.com