The Original 40 Brewing Company Names Former Modern Times Brewer Kyle Fjalstad as New Head Brewer

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – North Park’s The Original 40 Brewing Company has named former Modern Times barrel-program manager Kyle Fjalstad as its new Head Brewer. Original 40 Founder Steve Billings made the announcement.

Fjalstad spent five years with Modern Times, and he won two medals at the 2023 Great American Beer Festival, the nation’s largest professional brewing competition commonly referred to as “The Oscars” of the craft beer industry. Fjalstad and is team earned a Silver Medal for “Mega Devils Teeth – Double Dutch S’mores Edition” in the Pastry Stout category. He also won a Bronze Medal in the same category for his “Chaos Grid: The Final Final Course.”

A San Diego State alumnus, Fjalstad started his professional brewing career as an intern at San Diego’s Council Brewing in 2016. He became a full-time brewer in 2017, working out of the brewery’s Kearny Mesa and Santee locations. In early 2019, he joined Temecula’s Black Market Brewing. Fjalstad then returned to San Diego in September 2019 to start his tenure with Modern Times.

“Brewing beer has been my passion of mine for a long time,” Fjalstad said. “I am looking forward to expanding outside barrel-aged beers and bringing the North Park community and all of San Diego a potpourri of brews that everyone will savor no matter the season or time of day. Original 40 has solidified itself as one of our city’s best brewpubs, and I will continue to carry the torch for it.”

Original 40 was voted as Best Brewpub 2024 by readers of San Diego Magazine.

“We are blessed to have had outstanding brewers since our opening in 2019, and Kyle is a welcome addition to now take the reins,” Billings said. “I believe his knowledge and work ethic will take our beer to the next level. We always strive to have something for everyone.”

Fjalstad, who is of Norwegian heritage, started home brewing in 2010 at the age of 24 after his time at San Diego State and earning a Professional Certificate in Brewing from UC San Diego Extended Studies. He and his wife Sarah were married last October, and they recently returned from their honeymoon to Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris. They reside in South Park.

Original 40 opens at 12:00 noon Monday – Friday and at 11:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The brewpub, located at 3117 University Avenue, is named after the original 40-acre parcel of land that became modern day North Park.