Beer of the week: Boron Brown from Quantum Brewing Company

May 6, 2019 5:19 PM PT

Beer Name: Boron Brown
Brewery: Quantum Brewing Company
Style: Irish Brown Ale
ABV: 5%

Round a curve on Kearny Villa Road, and you’ll spot Quantum Brewing Company tucked on the far end of a strip shopping center. As fate would have it, the brewery was bought in 2016 by Martin Beaulieu, a scientist with a PhD in Biochemistry. After an assignment in college to make an enzyme assay (laboratory method for measuring enzymatic activity) prompted him to use his money to buy a beer kit, Beaulieu has been brewing ever since — 25 years, actually. With science-inspired beer names such as Hadron Wheat Collider, Chain Reaction, White Dwarf, and Anti-Matter, Quantum might just make you feel a little smarter (or less so) with every sip.

PACIFIC caught up with the CEO and Master Brewer to find out a little more about this atomic inspired beer of the week.

What’s with the name Boron Brown?
BEAULIEU: The Boron atom is five electrons (the Boron atom is also on the Quantum logo). And the B B sounds worked nicely together.

What’s in it?
BEAULIEU: Chocolate malt, roasted barley and Fuggle hops.

What to expect:
BEAULIEU: A malty, well-balanced beer, not overly bitter, with hints of chocolate.

The perfect pairing?
BEAULIEU: Burgers, ribs, smoked brisket, BBQ, and mac and cheese. For dessert, tiramisu. And, Boron with a chocolate cake is insane.

What makes it an Irish Brown?
BEAULIEU: I use an Irish ale yeast, and a mixture of malts, but the main thing is the yeast. It’s not as nutty as an English Brown Ale.

This beer gal’s take: Smooth and delicious, this beer is comfort in a glass, perfect for cool evenings, BBQ’s in the backyard, and for cranking up flavors in cooking (think sauces and marinades). But this one just isn’t for meat pairings, pair up the Boron Brown with veggie and portabella burgers, jackfruit “pulled pork” sandwiches, and BBQ tempeh.

Where to get it and for how long: As a core beer from the get-go, Boron Brown is available at the tap room, in crowlers and growlers at Quantum Brewing.

Extra juicy tidbit: Get to Quantum soon for the Tiramisu Brown, a popular version of the Boron Brown, coming back on tap especially for Beer of the Week and PACIFIC readers.

5375 Kearny Villa Rd. #116, Kearny Mesa, 858.254.6481, quantumbrewingsd.com