This is a big deal: we’re rolling out in the Central Coast this week! Until now, our beer has only been available in Southern California (plus a few export markets just for funsies). Now, through our freshly minted partnership with Central Coast Distributing, we’ll be regularly sending cans and kegs to the rest of Santa Barbara County, all of San Luis Obispo County, and the southern half of Monterrey County. Our beer hits shelves and taps later this week.

I’m going to try to steer this blog back towards the direction it started in: as a transparent look at the life of Modern Times and a soapbox for my wacky ideas. I never intended to abandon that direction, but the rigors of running the brewery have made it impossible to keep up. Alas, I am now clawing my way back to sanity, one badly needed vacation at a time.

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about what direction Modern Times should grow in. Chris, my COO, and I have had a bunch of discussions about different business models, and while those discussions are still happening, it got me thinking about what advice I’d give to a start-up looking to differentiate itself in an increasingly crowded market.

We've got a whole slew of tasty new beers coming down the pipeline. Here's the news:

1. Our next 22oz bottle release is fast approaching. Aurora—a 6.8% ABV red rye IPA loaded with Equinox, Centennial, Motueka, and Experimental Hop 07270—will hit shelves and taps throughout Southern California the first week of October. Consider this bitter, pungent, complex IPA our contribution to the war on pumpkin spice bullshit.