Starting the New Year, I’m going to be discussing a beer once a month, which, as the title states, I will call the beer of the month. Is there a rhyme or reason to the type or specific beer I choose? Of course not. I’m just going to pick a beer I really like and think you may enjoy.

(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

I decided to pick the Modern Times Space Ways this month. This IPA is a phenomenal choice for the person who is always saying they hate IPAs. If you have a friend who only drinks Coors light, who you have been trying to introduce to craft beers, have him or her try a Space Ways.

Space Ways is a hazy IPA. Although it is made on the west coast, it is an east coast IPA. It is a juicier IPA that doesn’t have a strong citrus emphasis. It also doesn’t have the bitter taste that many new beer drinkers complain of – the old, “taste like a sock” complaint. It has 6.7% alcohol and 40 IBU. Full disclosure: you’re going to get a strong buzz if you have three and weigh as much as I do (155 pounds).

Modern Times is an awesome brewery out in Point Loma, California and it is worth a visit if you’re out there. It’s right in between the San Diego Zoo and the SeaWorld in San Diego. That’s about as American as it gets.

Space Ways is a seasonal beer only brewed from September to November. Luckily, my local beer shop has beer from everywhere and I found this gem on a Thursday night after a 12-hour workday. Solid steal and fortunately, it only came with four beers, which saves me from a six-beer hangover.

There is a reason I went with a Calfornian beer this week, because originally, I thought I was going to make the first beer of the month a North Cackalacky beer. I was going to talk about one of my favorite beers, a Mother Earth Cali Creamin’. I sat in my yard with my shirt off last Saturday and drank one in this beautiful southern weather. I looked up where Mother Earth Brewery was and found out it was only an hour and half from me. So, Sunday morning, the wife and I got ready to go and as we started driving, she started googling the place.

Well, naturally I screwed it up. Mother Earth Brewing, LLC is in North Carolina. Mother Earth Brew Co. is in California. Mother Earth Brewing, LLC does not make Cali Creamin’. So, I didn’t get a fresh Cali Creamin’ this weekend, which is fine by me. I found plenty of other beers to drink. I’m not sure my wife will ever let it go though because the Cali Creamin’ is her favorite beer of all time and I convinced her that the people who make it are less than a hundred miles away. First few months of marriage, nailing it.

Go grab a Modern Times, guys. Let me know what you think. Catch me next week here, I’m going to discuss my top ten favorite ales. If you have any that you think I should include, comment in the forum and let me know. I’d love to have an excuse to have a couple extra drinks this week.

Cheers!

Vincent DelGiudice
Vincent DelGiudice

Beer Analyst

Vince Del is a therapist living in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is originally from New York where he grew up and went to college. Vince has been writing for four years now creating his blog about the unfortunate events that happen to us on a daily basis – mycousinvinny.blog. In his spare time, he drinks beer, and now writes about that as well.

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