The Original 40 to Release Pastry Stout That Began Barrel Aging at Modern Times

On Friday, August 8, San Diego’s The Original 40 Brewing Company will release Magnetic Ribbon: Final Cut Edition pastry stout, a beer that was aged in Elijah Craig Bourbon eight-year barrels for 45 months beginning at Modern Times Beer in October 2021. Original 40 Head Brewer Kyle Fjalstad, who spent five years as Modern Times’ barrel-program manager, made the announcement.

Modern Times’ flagship brewery in San Diego’s Midway District permanently closed in November 2024. Original 40 founder Steve Billings hired Fjalstad on month later and purchased the barrels from Modern Times.

Magnetic Ribbon: Final Cut Edition will be available exclusively at Original 40 in 16-oz cans, and only 250 cans were produced. A release party will be held on Friday, August 8 beginning at 6:00 p.m., when Fjalstad will make a presentation on the beer and host a Q&A session with guests.

The limited-edition beer is 13.3 percent alcohol-by-volume (ABV), and it features Dominican Republic cocoa nibs from San Diego’s Nibble Chocolate and Muddy Paws Dark Roast coffee from San Diego-based roaster Cozy Canine Coffee. The brew also has Ugandan vanilla beans, almonds, and three different types of coconut.

Individual cans will be sold for $18 (plus CRV). A flight of four beers will also be available for $22 with the following four selections (5 oz. each), including two other iterations of the barrel-aged beer: Magnetic Ribbon: Final Cut Edition, Magnetic Ribbon: Cocoa Bonanza, Magnetic Ribbon, and Super Strawberry Pilsner.

“This is dessert in a can,” Fjalstad said. “Even the non-beer drinkers may want to try this one out. It’s a unique offering for us at Original 40, but one that should appeal to everyone. A lot went into this beer, and I am especially proud to have included ingredients from two local companies.”

Fjalstad won two medals in the Pastry Stout category 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 his team earned a Silver Medal for “Mega Devils Teeth – Double Dutch S’mores Edition” and a Bronze Medal for “Chaos Grid: The Final Final Course.”

“While Kyle is certainly versatile in his brewing, there is no doubt that his barrel-aged beers are always a home run,” Billings said. “It was an easy decision to work out an agreement to purchase the barrels from Modern Times once we hired Kyle.”

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.

Original 40 opens at 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.