Wings & Arrow Beer Co. to Oversee Operations of Modern Times Beer

Another shakeup in craft brewing came to light late yesterday. After acquiring Modern Times Beer in July 2022, Craft ‘Ohana, the parent company of Maui Brewing Co., has announced a new strategic partnership. San Diego based Wings & Arrow Beer Co. along with a group led by San Diego businessman Duncan Ward oversee the operations at Modern Times Beer.

Both Wings & Arrow and Duncan’s group will manage both Modern Times Beer and its offshoot, Modern Times Coffee in San Diego along with a planned West Hollywood location. Craft ‘Ohana will retain an interest in Modern Times, but it will not be directly involved in its day-to-day operations allowing the company to focus exclusively on the continued growth of its Maui Brewing Co. and Maui Hard Seltzer brands. 

“As Maui Brewing Co. continues to experience significant growth, we recognized the need for strategic partnerships to help Modern Times flourish while enabling us to focus fully on our core Maui brands,” said Garrett Marrero, CEO of Craft ‘Ohana, in a press release. “We found two local San Diego-based partners who understand the nuances of Southern California’s market and bring deep expertise in their respective areas. This approach mirrors the leadership model we’ve successfully implemented at Maui Brewing Co. and Maui Brewing Restaurant Group to drive growth.” 

“Modern Times is all I can hope for in a partner,” said Josh Landan, founder of Wings & Arrow, in a press release. “I have watched the brand for many years and always believed in its potential. I am still reeling from the idea that I get to work on the brand each day, help to continue the great presence it has here in San Diego and future of a local fixture.” 

Joining Landan, who also founded Saint Archer Brewing in 2013 before selling it to Molson Coors two years later, will be San Diego businessman Duncan Ward. The two will be in charge of the operations of the both entities of Modern Times.

“I am absolutely delighted to partner with Modern Times coffee and hospitality, and look forward to utilizing our 30 years of beverage focused retail experience and to working with the teams at Craft ‘Ohana and Wings & Arrow to continue building the Modern Times experience,” said Duncan Ward, in a press release. “We have our first new Modern Times Beer + Coffee bar planned in West Hollywood for early 2025, and we’re brimming with exciting ideas that we know both our customers and teammates will love.” 

The three entities look to seamlessly transition operations over the next month. Craft ‘Ohana is excited to continue fueling the Maui brands both in Hawai‘i and on the mainland, where the brand has seen +20% sales volume growth.

But what wasn’t mentioned in the press release got us thinking. The names of Wings & Arrow and Josh Landan both sounded familiar. The reason being is the connections that both have with Great Frontier Holdings, the parent company of Ninkasi Brewing. Back in 2023, Josh Landan’s Wings & Arrow merged with Ninkasi Brewing to form Great Frontier Holdings. Beyond Ninkasi Brewing, Great Frontier Holdings also owns Ashland Hard Seltzer, Mucho Aloha Hard Lemonade, Villager Spirits, Voyager Hard Tea, and since November 2023, Ecliptic Brewing.

When Great Frontier Holdings was created, Landan was named CEO of the beverage company and Nikos Ridge and Jamie Floyd, both co-founders of Ninkasi Brewing, remained in leadership roles. Now according to Brewbound, Landan left the company approximately six months ago and Ridge is CEO at Great Frontier Holdings.

Also mentioned in the Brewbound article is that Great Frontier Holdings has the licensing and distribution agreement for Ashland Hard Seltzer. Both companies will maintain what is described as “shared equity” in the business with a planned rollout of the hard seltzer brand in the Pacific Northwest this fall.

This news also arrives on the heals of the September 2024 announcement that Modern Times Beer production was being moved to fellow San Diego craft brewer, AleSmith Brewing. It is there where Modern Times Beer core lineup and limited release specialty beers will be brewed as it simplified the brewery’s footprint and portfolio.

For more information on Modern Times, visit ModernTimesBeer.com or follow @ModernTimesBeer on Instagram and X or @ModernTimesIsYourFriend on Facebook.