San Diego's Modern Times Brewery Releases Unique Orderville IPA

The brewery's experimental process to create the wet-hopped beer resulted in an unconventional but acclaimed IPA.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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Modern Times Beer, a San Diego brewery, set out to create a "wet-hopped" IPA using freshly harvested Mosaic, Simcoe and Chinook hops. However, due to issues with the hop harvest, they ended up brewing two separate beers - one with wet Simcoe and another with wet Chinook - and then blending them together. The resulting Orderville IPA is described as a "completely absurd and radically inefficient" beer, but one that is highly distinctive and acclaimed.

Why it matters

The story of Orderville IPA highlights the challenges and creativity involved in craft beer production, as well as Modern Times' commitment to experimentation and quality despite setbacks. The beer's unique flavor profile also showcases the brewery's skill in leveraging unconventional techniques to produce a standout IPA in a crowded market.

The details

Modern Times intended to brew a single wet-hopped IPA, but issues with the hop harvest forced them to brew two separate beers - one with wet Simcoe and another with wet Chinook. They then blended the two beers, adding in wet Mosaic hops that arrived late, to create the final Orderville IPA. This multi-step process resulted in a beer that is described as "completely absurd and radically inefficient" but also highly distinctive, with a fresh, herbal aroma and a flavor profile that includes notes of cantaloupe alongside the typical citrus.

  • The hop harvest did not go as planned in 2026.

The players

Modern Times Beer

A craft brewery located in San Diego, California, known for its experimental and innovative approach to beer production.

Jacob McKean

The proprietor of Modern Times Beer who detailed the story of the Orderville IPA on the brewery's blog.

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What they’re saying

“The harvest, of course, didn't shake out at all as predicted, and we were forced to brew two entirely separate beers: one with wet Simcoe, another with wet Chinook. The wet Mosaic showed up late—naturally—so we dry-hopped the Simcoe beer with the wet Mosaic. But we ordered so much Mosaic that we literally couldn't fit anywhere near enough of it into the fermenter, so we filled the hopback with the wet Mosaic and recirculated the beer through it over and over and over and over again.”

— Jacob McKean, Proprietor (Modern Times Beer blog)

The takeaway

The story of Orderville IPA showcases the creativity and problem-solving skills of the team at Modern Times Beer, who were able to turn a challenging hop harvest into the production of a highly acclaimed and distinctive IPA. This speaks to the brewery's commitment to quality and innovation, even in the face of unexpected obstacles.