By Robin GOLDSWORTHY

Summertime is just around the corner and nothing says summer better than a perfectly grilled hamburger and cold beer. At Bourbon Steak in Glendale, Chef Kyle Johnson created some new twists on the American favorite, pairing his Brandt Farm beef burgers with a selection of Modern Times beer.

Modern Times is one of a few vegan brews, said Greg Pazour, LA “Sales Wizard” for Modern Times who sat with diners last week at a tasting at Bourbon Steak.

Modern Times is a fairly new beer having made its debut about four years ago. The company was started in Point Loma, down by San Diego, the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign. Pazour said the company is expanding and will soon be opening new breweries in Anaheim and Downtown Los Angeles.

The first pairing of the evening was with Modern Times’ Lomaland, the company’s flagship saison, with “Pho” Nomenon, a juicy burger topped with spiced aioli, rice noodles, jalapeño, mint and cilantro. The tame Lomaland allowed the bold flavors of the Asian-inspired “Pho” Nomenon to come through, complimenting them instead of competing with them.

The Bulgogi burger was topped with grilled onions, fermented spicy radish and bibb lettuce sitting on a fried egg. It was paired with the Modern Times’ Fruitlands Gose, a beer with a light alcohol content made with passion fruit and guava. The spicy radish and grilled onions provided a perfect platform for the Gose, a more mellow brew that, because of its tartness, may be considered more of an acquired taste.

The most popular of Modern Times’ seasonal offerings is the Hoppy Citra IPA, which was paired with the Little Tokyo burger. The Little Tokyo boasted charred scallions, Furikake umami bomb and Velveeta cheese. The citrus-forward IPA is eagerly anticipated each season, Pazour said, and “overwhelming in demand of the seasonals.” The gooiness of umami bomb demi-glace and Velveeta cheese paired well with the hop-rich IPA.

Highlighting local favorites, the LA “Deluxe” Diner Burger brought together applewood-smoked bacon, mushrooms and Swiss cheese. One of the simpler burgers of the night, it was paired with the Black House Roasty Stout. Modern Times is one of the few breweries in the world that not only makes beer but also roasts its own coffee. For its stout, the brewmasters tap the talents of the roasters to create a beer filled with the aroma and flavor of coffee. The simple goodness of the LA “Deluxe” Diner Burger allowed the stout to release the fullness of its flavor without being distracted.

Finally, the Redondo “Fun Fish” Surf N Turf paired a burger with a Dungeness crab, spicy remoulade, pickle, lettuce and tomato. A powerful burger, it was offered with the Fortunate Islands Tropical Wheat. With a bouquet like an IPA, the fruity Fortunate Islands went down easily following the Redondo “Fun Fish.”

Pairing the distinct flavors of Modern Times’ offerings was a fun venture for Chef Johnson.

“We’re big craft beer drinkers,” he told the group. “Things got really exciting once we tasted the Modern Times beers.”

The pairings honor National Burger Month (May) and Johnson said some of the combinations were “kinda wacky,” with some of his staff contributing to the creations.

“We started with the beer, then created the burgers to complement them,” he said adding, “we tried five different beers and were blown away.”

The specialty burgers are available at Bourbon Steak for the month of May with the optional beer pairing.

Bourbon Steak is located at 237 S. Brand Blvd. in Glendale

  robin goldsworthy