Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse, Dining Room & Microbrewery (The Norwich Inn)

Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse, Dining Room & Microbrewery (The Norwich Inn)Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse, Dining Room & Microbrewery (The Norwich Inn)
Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse, Dining Room & Microbrewery (The Norwich Inn)Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse, Dining Room & Microbrewery (The Norwich Inn)
Brewery, Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

325 Main St
Norwich, Vermont, 05055-9453
United States

(802) 649-1143 | map
norwichinn.com

Located in The Norwich Inn.
BEER STATS
Average:
3.84
Beers:
34
Ratings:
144
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.04
Reviews:
30
Ratings:
49
pDev:
10.15%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.25 by atlbravsrno1 from Maine

Aug 11, 2022
 
Rated: 3.93 by SSGCujo from Wisconsin

Sep 30, 2019
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Rated by rfahrner from Massachusetts

4.66/5  rDev +15.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5 | food: 4.75
Nice, cozy place in a lovely old inn, with good food and GREAT beer!
Apr 16, 2018
 
Rated: 4.29 by JLK7299 from North Carolina

Jun 25, 2017
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Reviewed by jhavs from New York

4.29/5  rDev +6.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4 | food: 4.25
Has a main dining room and a pub out back. I usually choose the pub room in the back. There is a nice patio area for warm weather months.

There brews are well made and traditional. I have never had one that I thought was a bad brew, but they are not pumping out world class stuff along the lines of the better known VT brewers. Definitely worth a stop and worth a sampler.

The vibe is yuppy VT pub or old fashioned inn dining room. The large front porch of the inn is a nice place to have a brew and sit in their rocking chairs.

Food is upscale pub style and is high quality and well-prepared. Have a nice variety. Prices are moderate, but if you're used to junk like Applebee's then keep driving.
Mar 10, 2017
 
Rated: 4.94 by Rand_Schoeb from Connecticut

Oct 03, 2016
 
Rated: 4.43 by MaxOhle from Illinois

Aug 08, 2016
 
Rated: 4.06 by zotzot from Vermont

Jul 28, 2016
 
Rated: 4.11 by ScottP from New Hampshire

Apr 03, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by KristopherWKing from Massachusetts

Oct 23, 2015
 
Rated: 3.99 by fastestmanalive from Florida

Sep 22, 2015
 
Rated: 3.85 by LXIXME from New Mexico

Jun 04, 2015
 
Rated: 4.26 by slasich from Pennsylvania

Apr 19, 2015
 
Rated: 4.35 by parris from Massachusetts

Mar 22, 2015
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Reviewed by BeerAndGasMasks from Virginia

4/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I always enjoy coming here both for the meal and the beer. They think a little highly of their bottled product, but the prices on tap are reasonable. In the summer, when you can sit outside, it is a nice location and inside is very nice, although a bit tight at times.
Mar 14, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by whitenads from Michigan

Oct 14, 2014
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Reviewed by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
Small pub located in a charming country style inn. Pub area in adjacent to the dining area and has a small bar that seats about 8 or 10 with a few tables. 8 beers on tap, the one I had was solid, but nothing of the caliber of many of their neighboring breweries. Relaxing atmosphere and friendly bartender. An enjoyable stop.
Sep 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4.16 by jdejoannis from Massachusetts

Aug 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Nichols33 from Massachusetts

Jul 10, 2014
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Reviewed by wfuqua from Vermont

4.27/5  rDev +5.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 3.75
They don't really do hoppy beers here, but they're pretty upfront about that. It's a very small brewery attached to a 200+ year old inn. The bar is very small, but the setting is incredible for drinking some English style ales on a warm spring afternoon. The bartender I had was incredibly helpful, even pouring me a full complimentary glass after I had accidentally spilled the dregs of my beer.
Jun 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by coombski from Maine

Mar 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by InspectorBob from New Jersey

Feb 26, 2014
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Reviewed by MattTastrophee from Vermont

4.66/5  rDev +15.3%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5
I generally go straight back to the tap room to get seated, it's got a nice cozy feel to it. The taps are always changing, and they are always trying their hand at brewing interesting styles. They serve a great burger, and a great veggie burger, so you can order one with your beer if you want. A truly historic inn with great food and great beer. (As a bonus, there is a fine New England general store adjacent to it.)

They have their beer in 22oz bottles for sale. They keep it in a cooler behind the check-in desk.
Jan 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Wukk from New York

Nov 28, 2013
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Reviewed by morebeergood from Massachusetts

4.14/5  rDev +2.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Stopped in here this past Sunday with my wife and son to meet an old friend for lunch. We got there right at noon when they open. Inside at the bar, there are mostly small tables, so we sat on the patio so we could have a bit more room. It looks like it may rain, so they lowered the retractable awning, which was handy. Our waiter was OK, but a little slow since he had to handle every table on the patio. I had the Birthday Dubbel and also Dark Humor (black saison), which were good. My wife's Stackpole Porter was delicious. My friend liked his Whistling Pig Red. They also had several other interesting brews on the menu (Kolsch, Weizen, etc), plus they offered a sampler of 4 choices. We all agreed the food was tasty. Prices were decent. They sold bombers to go behind the counter in the main lobby. Well worth a visit, as it was a nice afternoon of beers and catching up.
Jul 30, 2013
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Reviewed by ItinOcean from Italy

4.29/5  rDev +6.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4 | food: 4.25
A darned good nanobrewery and pub. They serve their own beer, accompanied by food that really tries to go the extra mile, and usually do well at both. The staff is friendly enough; have gone miles out of my way to pay a repeat visit to this place, and would recommend you do, too!
May 28, 2013
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Reviewed by woolybear from New York

2.6/5  rDev -35.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 1.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
Hit JM while on a VT/NH beer tour. The atmosphere was right out of a J Crew catalog depending on who you are this can be good or bad. We didn't find it reassuring. Food was overpriced as aspire to more than it was really. Had two beer started with the Two Patricks found it weak and watered down not what a stout should be. Also had the Old Slippery Skin. It was a very poor quality beer no one at the table was able to stomach more than a few mouthfuls. The taste was very off almost like licking a ashtray. If their batch was off or had turned or if the beer is really that bad i doubt i will ever find out since i have no desire or intention to return.
May 01, 2011
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Reviewed by HikerCT from Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev +0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
I stopped by here when I was passing through on business. I hit it for a late lunch and I had great service, a great burger and a great dunkelweizen that I don't see listed on their website. Overall, I was really pleased and have recommended this place to my friends in Connecticut. The only thing I think could be improved was the number of beers they offered. When I visited they only had a small handful in rotation.

My experience with atmosphere and service might not be typical since I hit it at an odd hour and had the place to myself. But I have no reason to suspect that their service would be bad during the lunch rush.

I would visit this pub restaurant again and maybe even stay at the inn.
Apr 25, 2011
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Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -8.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
The akorsak pack visited on New Year's Eve for a late lunch. The adjoined Norwich Inn was busy prepping for its New Year's Gala and we settled into the cozy bar.

Atmosphere: The bar area is small, cozy even with 6 tables and bar seating. We were located right behind the bar, with a view of the celebrants coming to check in. The bar is fifteen feet or so long and a little cluttered, with bottles of liquor taking up every available shelf.

Quality: The entire complex is rustic and very nice looking; I wouldn't mind a night at the inn sans the pups.

Service: One bartender was covering the pub area and, as a result, was a little busy. As we sat, the place cleared out (coincidentally, I swear) and as we were leaving to got busy again. As a result, things were slow at times but never unreasonably so. She did offer kids meals even though they weren't on the menu.

Selection: Four house beers on tap, a red ale, two milds and a strong ale. I had all except for the red ale and they were good. The milds especially had a strong flavor profile for being so small. They sell bombers to go but I didn't bite on that.

Food: The food, pub grub until 4PM, was average. Fries, sandwiches, salads nothing spectacular. For being unspectacular, they were pricy.
Jan 02, 2011
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Reviewed by IronCitySteve from Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4.5
Based on the recommendation of Rick from the BlackBack Pub and Fly Shop, my wife and I stopped in here on our trip to VT.

Jasper Murdock's is located in the Norwich Inn.

The bar is quite a tad small offering 8 seats at the bar and 28 seats around 7 small tables in the bar area.

The service is great. Our bartender was extremely friendly, efficient and prompt. He had great knowledge of the beers on tap and all the beers that were made even if they were not on tap.

The selection is on the small side, only 4 beers are on tap, but that is not necessarily a bad thing as they only make about 5 barrels of each. The beer is quite good too. They had a lighter ale called Oh Be Joyful, named after the beverages the Civil War Soldiers brewed from hardtack, an ESB, a Porter and a Red Ale.

The food is good, a tad pricey, but mostly local farm fresh food. The proportions were more than ample.

This is a very quaint spot in Norwich, close to the Dartmouth campus. Worthy of a stop!! My wife enjoyed our time here no doubt!
Oct 04, 2010
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Reviewed by rixport from New Hampshire

3.99/5  rDev -1.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3
New England at it's finest. A classic inn in a quaint Vermont town. Thru Hikers on the AT are very lucky to have a watering hole that is only 1 block off the trail. Probably a little too expensive for them tho and they'd probably want them to stay outside because most of them smell by the time they get up here. But, I digress.. This place is very nice and clean. After being in McNiels an hour before and still smelling the lingering odor of that establishment, this was quite refreshing. Our bartender was quite nice and tended to our needs very professionally. I had their 'pale ale' which was quite good but somewhat muted. Not to be unexpected in a place that wants to make good beer for average palates. Overall, a great experience in a great place. Thanks..
Jul 05, 2009
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Reviewed by SaintPeter from Colorado

3.69/5  rDev -8.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 2.5
This quaint little pub is like walking into a cozy hight class pub or restaurant in a small town in England. Everything is smaller and you might feel a little claustrophobic if the place had more than 8 people in it.

The decorations vary from breweriana-type serving trays to framed Colt 45 malt liquor ripped out of old magazines with the father from that black family show that I don't really remember the name of. Lots of decoration and color from the patterned green carpet to the pastel green and white alternating painted wall.

Very friendly and chatty pub tender, though she was not knowledgeable about the beers.

There were only 4 beers on tap, all being directly piped underground from the brewhouse to the pub, so very fresh indeed. The four beers on tap were in true form of the English styles, low carbonation and served at a cellar temperatures. The beers were: Whistling Pig Irish Red Ale, Oh Be Joyful English Mild Ale, Carrie Nation Cream Ale, Two Paterick Stout.

A great experience! I would love to stay at this historic Inn and drink the English beer...but I couldn't afford it.
Apr 27, 2009
Photo of mariano42
Reviewed by mariano42 from Vermont

5/5  rDev +23.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Let me just say that the selection of draught beer is limited to the beers made for the Inn. Also, a note to erase some confusion for people trying to find the place, it is the bar in the back of the Norwich Inn. The brewery is across a small courtyard which is outdoor dining when Vermont weather allows it.
The food is always top notch. The burger is in my top three all time burgers. Sometimes they have a venison burger. It is my all-time number one burger.
Now for the important part, the beer. This is the BEST English style beer made in New England, period, the end. I lived in Yorkshire and Lancashire for many years and I can tell you that this beer is made right. It is not made according to the American style of English beer---that is, it is not overly hopped and designed to make you cringe and say, yeah, I love it because it's not Budweiser. This is the real deal. Tim Wilson was the original brewer who created these beers but Patrick has taken over and the beer has not suffered at all. After all he was trained by the Jedi master Tim.
If you are in the area and are looking for the best beer around in an absolutely charming place you need to go to the Norwich Inn and drink the beer and eat dinner. By the way, the food is light years better than anything in Hanover. Forget the Canoe Club and Murphys, as an ex employee of one of those two establishments I can tell you that if I had only one place to eat dinner in the Upper Valley it would be the Norwich Inn.
Feb 10, 2008
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Reviewed by slander from New York

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
Okay, Vermont, New Hampshire, Vermont again, and then back to New Hampshire afterwards, soon enough but not yet. Lunch at Murdock's is in tall order, now that they're open. We had to put up at some elsewheres waiting on 'em and then backtrack to here, but everything thus far has been relatively close to each other so it's no scrap. We'll be putting on some good miles soon enough, might as well kick back while I can...

Sick old Victorian on Main Street in Sleepytown. Up the big old porch stairs, in the Inn, and on through out to the back, where Jasper Murdock's be. The smallish narrow room holds an 8 seat "L" shaped bar in the front corner, with 2 copper towers of 3 each on the barback counter, along with glassware, and shelving above holding wine and booze, and more bottles on corner shelving. There's a hop vine tied to the pole at the end of the bar, and a mounted map of Norwich from the 40's. A plaque displayed on the bar reads "Our beers are rotten good", we'll see. Beyond the bar, 9 tables running to the rear of the room, a mix of square tables and 2 seat roundies, and a patio seating area right outside that door there. The walls painted green above leaves on the same colored green wallpapered lowers, and pale green trim. Old pictures & early 1900's postcards of the Inn adorn the walls, plus beer tins, local Vermont & New Hampshire scenes, old King Arthur flour ads, a Dartmouth Winter carnival prints and a football collage. A single long shelf up high holds wine, old Jasper Murdock bottles, and other nic nacs.

Ordered up lunch and then split the sampler with Trouble, 4 beers served in small tulip glasses. The Oh Be Joyful, an English Mild, had a nice hoppiness; the Whistling Pig Red Ale, sweet, light toffee; the Stackpole Porter, coffee aromas, chocolatey, slightly roasty, very nice; the Old Slipperyskin IPA, okay, not really too hoppy. The Porter was the best of the lot.

Lunch, she had a yummy catfish taco with pico and I, the pulled pork quesadilla, served in a 4 point star shape with chipotle drizzle, and diced veggies & greens. Hers was good; mine was better. We finished up with the multiberry cobbler; blueberries, strawberries, raspberries & blackberries with a biscuit and Ben & Jerry's vanilla. Most excellent.

Good house for a lazy afternoon lunch and beering.
Aug 23, 2007
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Reviewed by rickcampie from Rhode Island

3.28/5  rDev -18.8%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 2.5 | food: 3.5
decided to hit this alehouse on way back to rhode island, this place is very old school. alot of antiques, not much of a selection but what they had was excellent, the food menu wasnt very big but again what they had was great. kinda outta the way for what is there, if in the area i would go again but woudnt go far ouuta my way for it. parking lot had ample parking but pub had very limited seating availible. if its busy your outta luck, i would definatley call ahead. the whistling pig red was my favorite, but the porter came in a very close second.
Feb 19, 2007
Photo of bjohnson
Reviewed by bjohnson from Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -2.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
Decided the drive back to Boston would be a bit far after a good day of skiing at Killington so we planned on spending the evening at the Inn, with a secondary intention of hitting the pub. First off, the Inn is very inviting. Nice large living room with the Christmas tree all lit up and a hot fire roaring. We checked into the room, changed, and made out way down to Jasper's around 6. Already the place was packed. The bar, which sits about 12, was full as well as all the tables. People were standing against the wall in the pub area leaving one lane of traffic for the server to bring food in. Nice comfy quaint feeling to this place. Only about 6 six tables available for eating in the pub.

We had two drinks at the bar before sitting down for the meal. Patrick, the bartender and head brewer, was very nice and informative regarding his beers. Later on that evening I got a tour of his brewing set up--pretty sweet. I ordered the Dr. Bowle's Elixer and eheff had Oh Be Joyful. Pretty tasty offerings. Only four beers on tap when we were there and two of them were mild ales. I thought that was interesting. Staples like the oatmeal stout and ipa weren't available. 6 tap lines, but as Patrick said, he only has 4 on at a time. space issue apparently. Prices on house beers were a bit steep, $4.50, while the normal macros were $3.50 or less. Beers were of good quality even though they travel 150 feet from the "brewery", located across the patio, underground to the taps (learned that on the tour). 22oz. bombers for sale for $5.45. You have to retrieve them from the "bottle shop", but that's something you'll have to find out for yourself.

Dinner was good, but not great. I had a pulled pork quesadilla and eheff had a black bean burger (my idea of an eclectic veggie burger). Other items on the menu were a bit interesting. New England cod pot pie, pot stickers, pad thai. They seemed to be catering to too many palates instead of just having delicious comfort pub grub. They did have a burger and steak--I should have ordered the steak. No substitutes on sides by the way...

Both the bar service and the waitress gave decent service. Not quite attentive, but not ignoring us either. Prices on the food were what you'd expect.

Not a bad place to stay for a romantic weekend. I bet the restaurant food is good, but it's a bit steep. There's not much to do in Norwich, but it's just over the river from Hanover, home of Dartmouth. I'd come back at some point.
Dec 11, 2006
Photo of delicious
Reviewed by delicious from Vermont

3.95/5  rDev -2.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4.5
After running into the new brewer we sat down at the bar for a pint and some lunch. The sun was shining and there were tables on the patio outside. There were only three active taps, but the red, ESB, and porter provided a balanced range. My better half had a cheddar burger; the beef was tender, the tomato was garden fresh, and the ketchup was home made. It came with potato salad and mixed greens with a zesty dressing. I had a Jamaican pumpkin soup that was thick and had a nice kick. Really, everything was made with that extra attention to detail that makes you slow down, take smaller bites, and savor the experience. Even the potato salad had me contemplating the ingredients. The beer, a porter, complemented the meal perfectly, and the seasonal rotations will keep me coming back at all times of the year.
Aug 31, 2006
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Reviewed by Billolick from New York

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
This is a comfortable, classy place, just a mile or so from the CT river (nice for a hot weather dip) and the AT for hiking. Room was comfortable and clean. Great front porch. Dinner was fine quality and great to wash it down with a Murdock's brew. The small bar was comfy and quant. 4 on tap when we visited, but no bottles were available. Outdoor area was full of small tables and rocking chairs by the brew house. Fine place to stay, enjoy a meal, some good quality British style ales, they even have a nice smoker that they fire up on brewing days, so they have pulled pork for lunches.
Aug 02, 2006
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Reviewed by Hhawk06 from Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -15.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 2 | food: 3.5
Stayed here the weekend of the "Blizzard of '06". Luckily, Norwich was only on the outskirts of the storm. A perfect getaway in a very scenic part of New England. In fact, I didn't realize how close it was to Dartmouth College, only a couple miles down the road.

The Inn itself is old and rustic, but to be expected of a 1797 establishment. One thing's for sure, it lends to character. The Alehouse is actually quite small, room for about 8 chairs at the bar and about 4 feet of standing room behind them. The rest is reserved for the "restaurant", which consists of about 8 small tables. We waited for about a half hour for a table, which was fine and allowed for some imbibing at the bar. Probably the biggest disappointment of the trip was the lack of variety on tap. Only 3 beers (Whistling Pig, Stackpole, and Fuggles and Barleycorn) were being served. Adding to the frustration were 3 other "idle" tap handles, awww shucks! Regardless, I started with the Whistling Pig, which actually happened to be my least favorite of the 3 offerings, with Stackpole leading the way and Fuggles close behind. And it figures, the only brew they had available to take home was the Pig...I passed.

The menu itself is a bit odd, fairly priced, but limited in choices. I ended up going with the most normal thing on there, the Cheddar Burger. It was ok, nothing special, as were my fiance's crab cakes. Word to the wise, if you want fries, ask. They are not on the menu, but they serve them as a side dish.

Overall, its worth the trip, but more for the scenery and the "getaway" factor. While the beer selection was disappointing, there still is nothing like throwing back a nice hand crafted brew in the middle of nowhere.
Feb 18, 2006
Photo of PatandDavid
Reviewed by PatandDavid from Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -13.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5
David and I stopped in on the way back from our visit to Waterbury/Burlington. It was just about the dinner hour, and we should have stayed at our seats in the bar, but we couldn't resist stepping outside to enjoy a brew in their hop garden. I had the Oh Be Joyful, David had another brew I can't recall (sorry!). On a sunny day, drinkign a tasty brew...nice! Unfortunatley, when we went back in to get another, all the seats were taken, so we didn't get a chance to sit down and eat. I enjoyed the quaintness and history of the place, so would come back again.
Aug 21, 2005
Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse, Dining Room & Microbrewery (The Norwich Inn) in Norwich, VT
Brewery rating: 3.84 out of 5 with 144 ratings