{"id":27704,"date":"2018-05-21T10:17:24","date_gmt":"2018-05-21T15:17:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/?p=27704"},"modified":"2018-05-21T13:11:03","modified_gmt":"2018-05-21T18:11:03","slug":"modern-times-beer-takes-a-quick-trip-to-nwi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/modern-times-beer-takes-a-quick-trip-to-nwi\/","title":{"rendered":"Modern Times Beer Takes a Quick Trip to NWI"},"content":{"rendered":"

Beers from one of San Diego’s best craft brewers are briefly available in Indiana — if you hurry.<\/h4>\n
\"Modern

Modern Times’ Greg Pazour and Keith Shaw hang at this year’s Dark Lord Day. Credit:\u00a0Travis Schoening<\/p><\/div>\n

As part of our \u201cCraft Beer To Cross The Border For<\/em>\u201d series, we\u2019ve often told you about the many beers in states neighboring Illinois that are worth travelling to try.<\/p>\n

Now there\u2019s one that\u2019s worthy of mention because it is only<\/em> available in a neighboring state for a few days. And it’s arrived after crossing eight borders, across more than 2,000 miles.<\/p>\n

San Diego\u2019s vaunted Modern Times<\/a>, which opened in 2013 and has since expanded to Los Angeles, participated in its first Dark Lord Day at Three Floyds Brewing this weekend. With that, the head of their L.A. sales, Greg Pazour, recognized an opportunity. Having grown up just 2 miles south of Three Floyds in Dyer, Ind., Pazour leaned on his knowledge of the area and worked with a local distributor to drop Modern Times kegs at key bars and restaurants in Northwest Indiana.<\/p>\n

Sure, those lucky enough to attend Dark Lord Day<\/a> got to taste some rare gems on Saturday, but you don\u2019t need a ticket to try it. Having tapped kegs at Doc\u2019s Smokehouse & Craft Bar<\/a> in Dyer and Beer Geeks<\/a> in Highland over the weekend, Modern Times will hit taps today at Twincade<\/a>, an arcade bar located in Griffith (already home to three breweries<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Even better: Mondays happen to be \u00bd-priced beer night at Twincade and Modern Times is included in that deal.<\/p>\n

Modern Times is known for their complex and flavorful beers, even as their flagship saison, Lomaland, skews toward the more traditional. But they enjoy the special releases and one-off beers enough that they\u2019ve dedicated an entire tank to beers fermented with Brettanomyces. Jacob McKean opened Modern Times after working for Stone Brewing Co. and this weekend marked the 5-year anniversary of the first batch McKean brewed out of a 30bbl facility in San Diego.<\/p>\n

\"Modern

Credit: Travis Schoening<\/p><\/div>\n

Last year, as neighboring breweries were acquired by larger brands, McKean doubled down on his independence by entering into an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, giving employees a 30% stake in the company, ultimately growing to 100%. Leading up to that decision, he explained why he was leaning that way in a much-discussed blog post<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, they continued their momentum by opening The Dankness Dojo<\/a> in L.A., where brewer Keith Shaw helms a Research & Development pilot brewery. But it was Pazour\u2019s roots in Northwest Indiana that helped the unique weekend distribution occur. Not only does he know the best craft beer bars in the area, he even went to high school with Three Floyds bartender\/Chicago DJ Gregg Elzinga<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With an assist from Indiana Beverage<\/a>, they\u2019ve dropped:<\/p>\n