Built in a renovated 19th century barn with sweeping views of Seneca Lake, Two Goats is a place to enjoy good beer, live music, epic sunsets and time with friends.
The Beginning
It all started with a trip to a brew pub in Ithaca’s college town (affectionately known as “The Chappy”) and a pint of a blonde doppelbock beer. First taste and Jon Rodgers knew he wanted to learn to brew beer. So on that fine day in 1984, with the help of his father’s wine-making equipment, his friend Scrubba, and a brew shop on Eddy street, Jon made his first batch of beer. It was not so delicious.
But practice makes perfect and eventually, by way of…college, business-management, accounting, Oregon, California, Colorado and back to New York again, Jon was making some tasty brews. With the help of good friends and many serendipitous moments…the cellar discovery of a dusty brew machine, an 1800’s timber-frame barn sold for a song, land at a fair price and loans from friends…in 2010, Two Goats Brewing was born of Jon and Jess Rodgers.
The Name
Dopple bock…double goat…two goats! The name “Two Goats” was inspired by Jon’s blonde doppelbock ‘awakening’, Jess’ two childhood pet goats; and both of their general Capricornian ways.
Food
We serve one signature sandwich…beef-on-weck. For it, we take a side of naturally-raised, local beef and slow-cook it for…forever. Then it’s thin-sliced, dunked in au jus, piled onto a housemade kimmelweck roll and topped off with a mild cream sauce and (optional) straight horseradish. The chips and pickle are really just there to look on in amazement.
For the veggies out there, we also serve a housemade hummus sandwich or a hummus bowl with chips.
Food is served until 30 minutes before close. All ingredients are sourced locally as much as possible and made from scratch.
Ceiling Money
“What’s with the dollars on the ceiling?” is a very popular question. In the first years open, a local shared a cool bar trick…stick a tack in a dollar bill, put a 50 cent piece behind it, fold it up to make it arrow dynamic and underhand it to the ceiling! It didn’t take long to have a ceiling full of money…which didn’t feel right to keep so every few years, we take the money down, throw a big fundraiser and give it all away.
Aspirations
First off, the desire to make really good, traditionally styled beer with basic ingredients and in the most uncomplicated way. Simplicity, authenticity, refinement and efficiency are constant goals: to make the most of the least, to give back, to make practical decisions for the good of business, community and nature, and to consistently improve. We embrace sustainability and conservation, both economically and environmentally. Geothermal supports solar which provides 75% of our electricity; roughly 80% of our refuse is diverted from landfills through composting, reusing and recycling; we source regionally and ethically as much as possible; and we donate generously back to our local community.
The Brewer
Ask most brewers about their craft and they usually have a lot to say with technical details that showcase a studious knowledge of all things ‘brewing’. Not Jon Rodgers. Without a formal education in brewing, he approaches brewing intuitively and credits his brewing skills to cooking skills (which he learned from his mother at a young age). To him, making beer is much like making soup: start with some water, throw in grain, add a few herbs, cool, ferment and voila! Fermented grain soup! Er…beer!