Brew Review

Idaho Brown Ale

Released October 2019

‘Fall Down Brown’ is an award-winning beer from Milner’s Gate Brewmaster Quay Marshall, and was the very first beer brewed here at Milner’s Gate.  It is a customer favorite and one of our flagship brews for sure.  ‘Fall Down’ combines a roasty flavor with notes of chocolate and nuttiness that create a full-flavored brown ale.  While it is somewhat malt focused, there is mild hop bitterness with an earthy hop flavor.  And even though Fall Down Brown may be dark in color, it is actually very easy-drinking, and it’s ‘sessionable’ enough to ‘have a few’ any time of the year.  ‘Fall Down’ pairs wonderfully with grilled meats or vegetables, and the slight char from grilling will enhance the roasted malts in the beer adding a new depth of flavor.  

IBU (international bittering units) 14.5        

ABV (alcohol by volume) 5.4        

Calories – 164/Pint

American Blonde Ale

Released December 2019

‘Golden Girl’ pours a slightly hazy, golden straw color.  It’s light bodied, quaffable and goes down smooth and easy.  Definitely a brew where you can enjoy more than one.  If you’re someone who thought you’d never enjoy a true craft beer, an ice-cold ‘Golden Girl’ might be just the beer to change your mind.   

IBUs (international bittering units) 10        

ABV (alcohol by volume) 5.0%

Calories – 140/Pint        

American Pale Ale        

First Release November 2019

Current Batch Released June 2020

Pale Ale is the style of beer that more or less inspired the American craft beer revolution back in the mid-1980s.  Our version of this now classic northwest style is made with the distinctive combination of Amarillo and Centennial hops being added during the dry-hopping process.  The resulting ‘Crooked Canyon Pale Ale’ is a medium-bodied, and refreshing brew, with a hop profile that is a bit more aggressive than your average pale ale, providing all the flavors you want in a craft beer, while still being imminently drinkable and not too heavy.  This beer beautifully bridges the gap between dark stouts and light lagers, and is another crowd pleaser from brewmaster Quay Marshall.  

ABV 5.4%         

IBU  40        

German Style Lager

Released December 2019

‘Milner’s Leicht’ is a light-bodied, refreshing beer made in the style of a German “leichtbier”, which is essentially just a German version of the popular light American lager.  To be fair to the style though, and to the German beer lovers for that matter, Milner’s Leicht doesn’t have nearly the reluctance to feature actual beer-ish flavors that the average American lager does, and therefore it is perhaps closer in style to a German pilsner than the vast majority of American lagers.  This crisp, refreshing brew pours a very pale, bright and clear golden color, and goes down real smooth & easy all the way.  And by the way, as you may have guessed, the German word ‘leicht’ translates to ‘light’ in English.  

IBUs:  11

ABV:  3.6%

Calories – 106/Pint

German Style Dunkel

Released January 2020

‘Dunkel Buck’ is a delicious ‘dunkel’ style beer created by brew-master Quay Marshall.  Dunkel means “dark” in German, and this signature dark brew offers beer-lovers a distinctive bottom-fermented lager, characterized by balanced flavors of chocolate, bread crust and caramel, that despite the malt-forward flavor profile does not offer an overly sweet impression.  Rather you’ll find a great balance between the distinct character of malt and the refined touch of bitterness from the noble hops, indicative of what many beer drinkers from around the world have come to expect and love from the great tradition of German-style brewing.  Cheers to ‘Dunkel Buck’ and to Quay for creating another crowd-pleasing beer from ‘The Gate’!

IBUs (international bittering units) 16        

ABV (alcohol by volume) 4.5%        

Calories per pint: 155

The inspiration for the name of this beer is the classic comedy movie “Uncle Buck” starring the late, great John Candy

Light Marzen

Released February 2020

Most of us here at The Gate develop a slight case of cabin fever around mid-February, and we start to get a little bit anxious to play outside in the Magic Valley and beyond.  Not that we don’t love winter, but you know how it is.  In this spirit, Brewmaster Quay Marshall has crafted a terrific beer definitely suitable for the season, ‘Happy Camper Springtime Lager’.  This unfiltered beer pours a beautiful light amber color with just a hint of toasted bread.  Medium-bodied and highly quaffable, with subtle malt notes that give way to floral, spicy & herbal characteristics of the German-style hops.  The refreshing after-taste lingers just long enough to leave you wanting another cold one, and definitely feeling like a very happy camper!

IBUs:  14.1

ABV:  4.7%

Calories – 155/Pint

India Pale Lager      

Released February 2020

From the mind of Quay Marshall, our very own creative, mad-scientist brewmaster, ‘Mamba Time’ is an American pale ale style beer, with the unique twist of using lager yeast.  Also made with copious amounts of Cashmere and Cascade hops in both the boil and in the dry-hopped finish.  Pleasing aromas and flavors of citrus and tropical fruit are present but the infusion of the cashmere hops balance-out the sweetness and make for a crisp, clean finish.  

The name “Mamba Time” was chosen to honor the great Kobe Bryant and his incredible “Mamba Mentality”.  One dollar from the sale of every ‘Mamba Time IPL’ will be donated to a fund that has been set up to benefit the families of the victims of the helicopter crash.  RIP Kobe and Gianna!  

IBUs:  20

ABV:  6.1%

Calories:  201/Pint

Authentic German Style Wheat Ale

Released March 2020

When it comes to ales, Germany is most famous for their wheat beers, with Hefeweizen being the most common—often poured into towering vase-like glasses, this cloudy southern German specialty is all about the yeast.  Heck, it's right there in the name—'hefeweizen’ translates to "yeast wheat" in German.  The beer's cloudy appearance and powerful aromatics are the direct result of an unusual yeast strain that is essential to producing this classic style.  Brewmaster Quay Marshall has mastered several brewing techniques, but the German style of brewing is one of his favorites, and this excellent hefeweizen is a good example of his art.  It pours a beautiful pale, straw-golden color, with a lasting lacy white head.  On the palate you’ll get hints of banana and spicy clove, with the overall result being a delicious, very refreshing wheat-based ale.  Prost!

IBU (international bittering units) 9  

ABV (alcohol by volume) 4.8%    

The brewing process for ‘Home Alone Hefeweizen’ began well before we had any idea what the coronavirus pandemic would turn into.  But it’s release date in late March came at the height of self-isolation and self-quarantine.  So what the heck, we called it ‘Home Alone Hefeweizen’, because sometimes it’s definitely OK to drink alone!

Stout IPA

Released June 2020

A scrumptious blend of our delicious Milner’s Gate “Blackadar American Stout” combined with our very  popular “Ida-Hop IPA”.  The result of this pairing makes  for the perfect marriage between the roasty-toasty aromas and flavors, of the stout with the crisp, clean and slightly bitter notes from the IPA.  The chocolate and coffee flavors of the stout are balanced by the Ida-Hop, and likewise the bitterness of the hops is mellowed by those hints of dark chocolate and espresso from the stout.  This magical concoction is rich, satisfying and full-bodied, yet extremely drinkable, and has been a favorite with our beer-loving friends who want to venture safely into the dark-side. 

Northwest Style IPA

Released March 2020

This is our second time brewing ‘Eleventh Hour IPA’ and

 as much as we loved the first batch, this one is even better!  Brewmaster Quay Marshall carefully selected four different types of malt to ensure the strong malt backbone needed for a great IPA.  Those malts are then combined with Magnum, Chinook, Cascade and Amarillo hops, resulting in our own Idaho version of a neo-classic Northwest style IPA.  The payoff is a medium bodied, bold, wonderfully balanced, refreshing IPA with just a hint of citrus.  All of those wonderful hop aromas and flavors are present right up front, but the overly bitter quality that so many IPAs sometimes exhibit is subdued and not at all overpowering.  ‘Eleventh Hour IPA’ is a clean, crisp, crowd-pleasing brew, that demonstrates the art of brewing, beautifully achieved.    

IBU (international bittering units) 50+      

ABV (alcohol by volume) 7.2%      

Hops:  Magnum, Chinook, Cascade, Amarillo  

Malts:  White Wheat Malt, Crystal 15, Carapils, Idaho Pale Ale

‘Eleventh Hour IPA’ is named to honor the history of the iconic building we’re in, originally built in 1922, renovated by us in 2018.  

Milner’s Gate is located in what is known as the ‘Historic Twin Falls Elks Lodge Building’, which was the original home of the Magic Valley Chapter of the “Benevolent And Protective Order Of Elks”.  One of the most beloved traditions of the Elks was their “Eleventh Hour Toast” which held that if any social function or meeting was still in session at 11:00 pm, the meeting was temporarily halted and a toast was offered to honor their absent members, especially those who may have passed recently or on that day in history.  The Eleventh Hour Toast is still alive and well and happens every night here at ‘The Gate’.   

The Poem

"You have heard the tolling of eleven strokes.
This is to remind us that with Elks
the hour of eleven has a tender significance.
Wherever an Elk may roam,
Whatever his lot in life may be,
when this hour falls upon the dial of night
the great heart of Elkdom swells and throbs.
It is the golden hour of recollection,
the homecoming of those who wander,
the mystic roll call of those who will come no more.
Living or dead, an Elk is never forgotten, never forsaken.
Morning and noon may pass him by,
the light of day sink heedlessly in the West,
but ere the shadows of midnight shall fall,
the chimes of memory will be pealing forth the friendly message
"TO OUR ABSENT MEMBERS!"

Belgian Wheat Ale

Released August 2020

As we enter the dog-days of this crazy summer of 2020, our Brewmaster Quay Marshall, has created the perfect beer for these times . . .  “Pang Wangle Belgian Wit”.  An authentic Belgian ale yeast was used in the brew, lending this wheat beer a slight clove aroma that disappears into the many other flavors.  Malted wheat, un-malted wheat and oats give this ale a great end-of-summer flavor that has a solid wheat beer taste while still finishing light and dry.  Small amounts of coriander and orange peel were added at the end of the boil process to add subtle notes of complexity and refreshment.  Our Pang Wangle Belgian Wit is a thirst-quenching beer that’s perfect for the end of Summer and the start of Fall.  And about that name...to “Pang Wangle” is an old expression that means “To live or go along cheerfully in spite of minor misfortunes”.  The perfect attitude and the perfect beer for these times!     

ABV (alcohol by volume)4.7%      

IBUs (international bittering units) 10

(Hoping to answer the question Malan is asking about her new baby boy, who should be arriving any day now!)

Bavarian Helles-Style Lager

Released September 2020

Brewmaster Quay Marshall has created another distinctive craft-brew to add to our diverse selection here at ‘The Gate’, this time in the tradition and style of the great German “Helles Lagers”.  The original Helles-style lagers, [and by the way, ‘helles’ means ‘bright’ in German], were originally developed around Munich in the late nineteenth century by Bavarian brewers hoping to compete with the hugely popular pilsners of the day, which were coming out of Czechoslovakia.  Our version is made with Mount Hood Hops, which are a northwest hop, cross-bred with the traditional German Noble Hops, therefore lending some of the same Bavarian characteristics to the brew.  The result is a beautiful pale-golden, slightly-hazy beer, malt-forward, medium-bodied, mildly-herbal, slightly spicy and uniquely refreshing.  A helles of a crowd-pleaser for sure!  

ABV (alcohol by volume) 5.5%   

IBUs (international bittering units)  12.7

American Style Stout

Original Release February 2020  

New Release October 2021

An All-American style stout that pours a beautiful, dark, opaque color with a creamy tan head.  Rich and full-bodied, with roasty-toasty aroma and flavors, along with loads of dark chocolate and espresso, all of which is beautifully rounded out by a solid backing of Chinook, Centennial and Cascade hops.  Strikingly bold, complex yet remarkably drinkable, this outstanding brew will convince you that you definitely do not have to be afraid of the dark!  Blackadar American Stout, another masterpiece from Milner’s Gate brewmaster Quay Marshall.

IBUs (international bittering units) 40      

ABV 7.2%        

‘Blackadar American Stout’ is named for Idaho’s very own Walt Blackadar, pioneering whitewater kayaker.

Hazy IPA

Released November 2020

This is one of the very first beers we ever tasted from our brewmaster Quay Marshall.  It’s a recipe he developed and perfected with his home-brewing system, and he shared it with us during the construction phase of Milner’s Gate, way before we were even open.  We loved it then and we love it even more now!  Quay describes this brew as “hazy, juicy west-coast style IPA-meets New England IPA”.  The result is one of our very best IPAs yet.  Hops used include Azacca whole-hops, along with Cashmere & El Dorado.  Together these lend hints of tropical fruit, pineapple, sweet orange, herbal and coconut.   When it comes to the name “Banjo Shredder” Quay tells us that as he was developing this great brew, he and some beer-loving friends were listening to lots of kick-ass bluegrass music where the were musicians tearing it up on banjo.  Every brew-day was a great day!  

ABV 6.2%    

IBUs  35

Imperial Belgian Wheat Ale

Released December 2020

About this time every year, craft-breweries around the country start pushing their seasonal dark winter ales, but here at “The Gate” we’re going another direction with the release of our “White-Out Double Belgian Wit”.  Talk about a “winter warmer”!   this totally unique brew is made with 2-row pale malt, white wheat malt, oats, Belgian candi sugar, coriander, orange peel, Belgian yeast and Magnum hops. The resulting beer offers up a wonderful heady aroma, pours a beautiful, cloudy-golden haze, and features a slight acidity to balance the sweetness and add more depth of flavor.  Not to mention being higher in alcohol, which comes in at a whopping 8.1% ABV.  Enjoy one of these beauties by our fireplace and you’ll see how a really great cold beer truly can warm your soul!

IBU (international bittering units) 18

ABV 8.1%

West Coast Style IPA

Released February 2021

This is our biggest, fullest-bodied IPA to date, delivering a beautiful mouthful of citrus, along with dank pine flavors, and more of a ‘hop-bomb’ than any of our previous IPA offerings.  Yet because of the solid malt backbone and Quay’s mastery of the brewer’s art, the finish is crisp and dry, making for an extremely drinkable brew.  The mix???  Magnum, Centennial & Cascade hops in the boil, some beautiful Chinook hop-hash in the whirlpool, then 

dry-hopped with more Centennial and Cascade.  YeeHaww and Giddyup!  IPA lovers are going to be all-in for this beautifully balanced beer.  The name “Finger Of Fate” refers to a beloved feature in the Sawtooth Mountains that some of us here at Milner’s have climbed over the years.  Sadly, the final top pitch of “the finger” was toppled in a recent earthquake, but it is still way-worth the work to get there, and we can all remember amazing times in the mountains whenever we down a Finger Of Fate IPA.    

IBU (international bittering units) 50+  

ABV (alcohol by volume) 5.5%

“Ida-Hop IPA”

Idaho IPA

Released February 2020

‘Ida-Hop’ is a beautifully balanced India Pale Ale made with copious amounts of highly sought after "Idaho Gem Hops" as well as small amounts of Chinook Hops, Galena Hops and Cascade Hops, which are from Oregon and Washington.  The result is a complex yet extremely drinkable Idaho IPA.  Crisp, refreshing, with notes of fresh citrus and a clean, satisfying finish.  You don’t need to be an IPA fanatic or a “hop-head” to love this beer, but if IPAs are your jam, you won’t be disappointed.  All of the characteristics of the style you love are definitely present in this highly accessible IPA.   

IBUs (international bittering units) 41.2       

ABV (alcohol by volume) 7%

Idaho IPA

Released April 2021

The is the fourth in our ‘Ida-Hop’ series of IPA’s made primarily with Idaho-grown hops.  This time around Quay has produced a very nicely-balanced India Pale Ale made mostly with "Idaho Gem Hops" as well as smaller amounts of Amarillo and El Dorado hops.  These new hop varietals are known for citrus and tropical flavors, along with some added candy-like sweetness.  Those qualities are then balanced-out with the addition of Magnum hops for the bittering.  The result is a complex yet extremely drinkable Idaho IPA.  Crisp, refreshing, with notes of fresh citrus, and a clean, satisfying finish.  An Idaho IPA brewed to kind of take-on all of the hazy IPAs that are so prevalent today.

IBUs (international bittering units) 41.2       

ABV (alcohol by volume) 7%

Bohemian Style Pilsener

Released July 2021

Bohemian or Czech-style Pilsener originated in the westernmost and largest historical region of what is now the Czech Republic.  It’s a style of beer that many new craft-brewers want to learn to brew perfectly, but it’s not all that easy, and you’ve gotta have just the right ingredients to make it work.  While still crisp & clean like other Pilsener style beers, Bohemian-style Pilseners have a spicy-hop character and a nice, rich, complex maltiness.  In addition, Bohemian-style Pilseners usually have a bit more malt sweetness than German-style Pilseners, which helps counter the substantial hop bitterness, making it a more balanced, well-rounded beer. Malts used: Pilsen, Two Row and Carapils.  Hops: 100% Czechoslovakian Saaz Hops, think spicy & floral for these.   Yeast: Imperial Yeast and Czech Pils Yeast.  The real deal all the way, and a truly great pilsener!  

IBUs (international bittering units) 25  

Alcohol by volume 6.2%

Hybrid American Amber/English Extra Special Bitter (ESB)

Released September 2021

Big Bu in da house!  This is a big, beautiful full-bodied beer, perfect for our fall release this year.  A cross between an American style amber ale and an English Extra Special Bitter (ESB).  Very easy-drinking, considering that it weighs in at a substantial 7.2% ABV. Big BU is a hefty, malty, estery palate-pleaser that will sneak up from behind and take you out at the knees. Brewed with English Fuggle Hops, then dry-hopped with West Coast Willamette Hops.  This delicious ale is named after “Bu”, our brew house dog, and the beer is as big as Bu himself.

IBUs (international bittering units) 34  

Alcohol by volume 7.2%

English Style Brown Ale

Released March 2022

The first of many with brew master Rob Harrelson this English style brown features a chocolate, almost tootsie roll aroma on the first breath. This full bodied brown offers a slight sweetness that transforms into a light roast flavor with an extremely clean finish.  The name represents the visionary Stanley Milner and his efforts to help bring the Magic Valley to what is known as today. Without his efforts, life in Southern Idaho, wouldn’t be quite what it is today. In a similar manner this beer represents a new chapter for us here at Milner’s Gate AND for brewing in the Magic Valley. Cheers!

IBUs:  17      

ABV:  6.3%      

Session IPA

Release Date March 23, 2022

Ancient Sumeria is credited as the birthplace of beer. The beverage was celebrated in one of the oldest texts ever discovered, the Epic of Gilgamesh. Written about King Gilgamesh, who reigned in Sumeria around 2700BCE, the ancients were portrayed to drink water in daily life and even while undertaking heroic tasks. However, beer was consumed for pure enjoyment. Gilga-Sesh Session IPA lives up to Sumerian expectations!  A clear and crisp session ale with plenty of hop aromas, Gilga-Sesh won't hit you with the bitterness that is often associated with the acronym "IPA".  Chinook, Cascade and Cashmere hops set the stage for significant dry-hopping with Cascade and Idaho 7. The resulting brew's bouquet of citrus and tropical fruits is complemented by a very pleasing flavor profile accentuated by balanced effervescence and a quick finish. What was valid over 4,700 years ago still applies today; this highly sessionable beer is sure to bring enjoyment time and time again.

ABV 5.3%

IBU  35     

Extra Special Bitter

Released March 2022

Classic English-style amber ale.  ESB stands for ‘extra special bitter’, but when made right, the style is actually not bitter at all.  Evil Duck pours a beautiful light copper color, is rich in flavor with notes of fresh biscuit and caramel.  Similar to an American-style amber ale.  The name is in reference to a swan – a rare bird to find in this area much like an ESB. But unlike an ESB you shouldn’t get too close to the “evil duck”

IBUs:  34

ABV:  5.8%