While no one revels when struggling businesses are forced to lay-off their staff members, in some cases it allows other companies access to qualified employment candidates they otherwise would not have been able to bring aboard. Such was the case when Steve Billings, the owner of North Park brewpub, The Original 40 Brewing, was interviewing applicants for his open head brewer position and came across the résumé of Kyle Fjalstad.
One of numerous employees that was laid off when Modern Times Beer’s ownership opted to close down the company’s longtime headquarters in Point Loma and shift to a contract-brewing model, Fjalstad had been with the organization for five years and most recently served as the head of its barrel-aged beer program. But that was just one chapter in an eight-year career that focused heavily on brewing while providing a side education in oak-maturation.
Armed with a certificate from the University of California, San Diego, Extended Studies’ professional brewing program, Fjalstad started out at Council Brewing in Kearny Mesa, where he worked from 2016 until 2019 when the business closed, at which point he moved to Temecula to get his first taste of production brewing at Black Market Brewing. Less than a year later, sorely missing San Diego, he applied for a Special Projects position with Modern Times.
“There was trepidation moving from the hot side to a full-time cellaring role, but I had experience working with barrels and mixed-fermentation beers in both of my previous breweries, so it seemed like a good fit for me,” says Fjalstad. “I worked my way up to manager of Special Projects, where I remained for the last three-and-a-half years until the decision was made to cease production.”
While heading Modern Times’ barrel program, the company was recognized for his team’s exceptional work. In 2023, the company came a medal shy of sweeping the Dessert Stout or Pastry Stout category at the country’s largest brewing competition, the Great American Beer Festival, earning a silver medal for its Mega Devil’s Teeth: Double Dutch S’mores Edition and bronze for Chaos Grid: The Final Final Course. That same year, Chaos Grid: Double Coconut won gold in the Dessert Stout category at the San Diego International Beer Competition, and Modern Times nearly swept the Barrel-aged Beer category at the San Diego Beer News Awards with versions of its Monsters Park and Modem Tones taking second and third place, respectively.
As much as he was able to accomplish with his previous employer, Fjalstad is eager to move to a smaller, community-focused brewpub.
“Working in Special Projects at Modern Times could often feel like working on a remote island. We were off in our own facility that was detached from the main brewery and tasting room, so interactions with coworkers would often come via Slack messages and Zoom meetings. Working in a facility where I can speak to my coworkers and patrons is something that I don’t take for granted,” says Fjalstad. “And above all else, having creative control and the ability to make a much larger range of styles, including smaller batches of beer that may not be in the craft-beer zeitgeist at the moment but aren’t without their merit – [cough] saison – is what I look forward to most.”
Fjalstad and Billings intend to take a hard look at The Original 40’s portfolio and significantly reduce the number of year-round core beers, likely getting that number down to just a few, including Juice Maze hazy IPA and Baja Soul Mexican-style lager. Embracing an everchanging brewpub model will allow Fjalstad to follow through on his intention to produce lesser-seen styles, while also introducing occasional stouts that are on par with those he produced and aged at his last job.
When speaking of future beers, Fjalstad says, “People can expect the IPAs and lagers that are customary in any craft brewery, and I intend to tweak and improve them with each successive brew. I also plan on making special brink creations for the taproom that will be released on a semi-regular basis and be familiar to anyone who has attended one of Modern Times’ ‘League’ events. These will largely be creatively adjuncted versions of other offerings.”
When asked why he hired Fjalstad as his new head brewer, Billings points to attributes both professional and personal.
“What made Kyle ideal for the job was his passion, attention to detail and, believe it or not, his youth. He still has a gleam in his eye when you discuss brewing with him. We have had several standout brewers since we opened, but we are very excited about the future with Kyle onboard,” says Billings. “While at Modern Times, he had exposure to and the ability to contribute and learn from a large brain trust of brewers. Additionally, he brings a lot of organization and standard practices that we were lacking as a small brewery.”
The Original 40 Brewing is located at 3117 University Avenue in North Park