A stimulating buzz at Modern Times Invigatorium

Sept. 3, 2019 7 AM PT

Modern Times’ third hometown outpost, which offers both coffee and beer, is now open.

Go: Modern Times Invigatorium, 631 Ninth Ave., San Diego, moderntimesbeer.com

Study up: Modern Times’ third hometown outpost, after the original brewery (the Lomaland Fermentorium) and tasting room (the North Park Flavordome), the Invigatorium boasts early hours (7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily) and endless jolts of caffeine.

Perk up: The six Modern Times beers on tap ($10 per pour) here are vastly outnumbered the coffee choices. Hot single-origin java, cold brew on nitro, vanilla lattes, barrel-aged espressos, espresso sodas – they’re all here, and much more.

Wake up: After the coffee has awakened your senses, drink in the surroundings. From the velociraptor behind the bar and leather couches to the shimmering gold disco ball and the gently curved wooden beams high overhead, this place is a small masterpiece of design.

Pro tip: Don’t miss the all-gender restroom with its exquisite tile work and Japanese-style commode. The lid opens and closes automatically, while the seat is soothingly warm to the touch.

Peter Rowe

Peter is a freelance writer who writes about beer in his bimonthly column Brewery Rowe for the San Diego Union-Tribune. He worked as a reporter and columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune from 1984 to 2020. A native Californian who grew up in Encinitas, Rowe is a graduate of UC Berkeley and Northwestern University. He is past president of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and a former Fulbright scholar. He has won a few journalism awards, but would trade them all for a chance to avenge his 1994 “Jeopardy!” loss. Married to a terrific woman who has saved him from errors in writing and in life, he has three sons.