HECTOR, NEW YORK

Inside a renovated 19th Century barn with “sweeping views of Lake Seneca, TWO GOATS BREWING came to fruition in 2010. A solar powered facility, co-owning entrepreneurs Jon and Jess Rodgers craft traditional beer styles that are right on the mark stylistically.

A nifty shanty-like interior includes five rounded three-seat tables in a roomy V-ceilinged right side space across from the left side eight-seat oak top bar (with low kiosk balcony). But it’s the oak wooded side deck, covered picnic pavilion, huge back deck and parkway benches that offer the beautiful outdoor lake views.

Brewtanks are located near the lower level fermentation room. Tow Goat’s signature beef sandwich plus local wine and hard seltzers are available as well. Interestingly, the hilltop pub makes beer mixers such as a kolsch/IPA, stout/cream ale and red ale/IPA blend.

I spent a noontime hour at Two Goats enjoying the lakeview and trying some homebrewed beer, last day of November ’23.

Alongside its Goatmeal Stout and Imperial IPA, the generic-named Cream Ale is one of Two Goats staples. Its crisply clean. mildly creamed kolsch-like malting and grassy hop astringency welcomed zesty yellow fruiting.

Spiced apple, pear and tangerine engaged the sharp citrus hop bite contrasting the amber grained caramel malting grounding Redbeard Red Ale.

Juicy orange-peeled pineapple and mango tanginess plus spritzy lemon zesting picked up bitter juniper-licked pining to contrast mildly spiced pale malt sugaring for X-IPA, an experimental hopped Imperial IPA with Azacca, El Dorado and Mosaic influence.

Peaty soy dabbed the dark chocolate malting of Dirt Shepherd Brown Ale, leaving mild nuttiness at the soily mocha finish.