Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse At the Norwich Inn

We went to dinner here. Food was great. On the higher prices side but you get what you pay for. It was delicious. Beer selection of their own was awesome and tasty. I had the Oh Be Joyful that the waiter recommended and it was just perfect.

Less pretentious side of the Inn. I stayed at the Inn a few years ago and remember the menu was very high priced and not the best. This is a small side room of the inn but they have a larger dining room. The beer was good and reasonably priced. We tried the pretzel app and it was good. The bar tender was very friendly but we initially tried to sit at a table in the bar room and the waiter was super confusing about it.

The ambiance here is nice, but for the price they charge the service is mediocre at best. I went there recently in a large group and here’s a lowdown of all the misses:
1. They got the reservation name wrong, and the hostess didn’t teen smile at us until she figured out that it was, in fact, our group.
2. We didn’t get bread at the table until about 10 minutes after we had all ordered.
3. We informed the waiter we needed an extra place setting soon after we got there. When our friend arrived about 30 min later he had to stand for a few minutes because the place setting had not yet been set up.
4. Three of us had a jambalaya special which included duck, scallops, and shrimp. The duck was forgotten and the waiter had to bring it out separately while the jambalaya continues to cool.
5. The tiramisu was advertised as soaked in coffee and a liqueur. Neither of those could be tasted in it.
The only thing that kept the evening a solid success was the presence of our down to earth group that took all of these errors in stride and the truly delicious beer that restaurant offered. Nonetheless, at an average of $ 40 per person, the meal certainly felt lacking. If you’re going to eat in Norwich, it might as well be at Carpenter & Main

I’ve never been disappointed — really quality food and a more inspired menu than typical of a pub environment.

Relaxed and easy going, the Alehouse is a great place to come sample some local brews and fresh from nearby farms munchies.

The first time we visited the Alehouse several years ago, the service was fine and although we did not try the food we were moderately pleased with the beers. However, with each subsequent visit, we find ourselves lowering and lowering our expectations.
With several new and notable restaurants in the area one might think that established venues would try to up their game in order to stave off competition and keep loyal patrons. This is not the case with the Alehouse. Maybe they are comfortable with the income provided by the Inn and the captive diners that the Inn supplies. Maybe they see no need for improvement with the food and drink. Who knows?
Their current menu is (strangely) eclectic but uninspiring and overpriced. We usually try several of their beers but now find only minimal distinction between each similarly colored brown brew (the diners us next to us pointed out that their beer fleet «was all the same color?!!») We often ordered the Norwich burger but it has now become sub par and ridiculously priced at $ 14 with a $ 2 up-​charge for sweet potato fries. A home-​style place like the Alehouse does not warrant a $ 16 hamburger (nor a $ 14 salad.) By comparison, the $ 16 burger at Pine in Hanover includes fries, is better prepared and is served in a more refined setting. Another far better pub option would be the $ 6.50 grass fed burger from Prohibition Pig in Waterbury.
In general, the service is adequate but the beer is unremarkable and the food grossly overpriced. The Alehouse might be quaint but it is not particularly clean nor charming. The way things stand now it makes Salt Hill seem like a gastropub.
We are hopeful for change but will stay away until this place climbs its way back to mediocrity. The management/​owners clearly need to try some of the new food venues in Vermont and see how far they have fallen.

We only had a couple of days in the Woodstock area to hit as many breweries in the Vermont Brewery Challenge as possible. We decided to have an after dinner beer at the Norwich Inn one evening. What a lovely time! At first we sat at the bar which was small and crowded but the beer was good and the bartender friendly. Then we sat outside and had snacks and dessert under the stars. Would definitely recommend to others. Ma Walker’s Imperial Stout was a winner!

We were in town visiting and were looking for a good brewpub to have lunch and stumbled upon this great microbrewery /​restaurant. The restaurant is very cute and tucked away in the back of the Inn. There are not many tables, and a small bar, but that gives it a nice quaint feel.
The waitress was super friendly and helped us out immediately with drinks. The beers rotate quite regularly. I decided to go with the Oatmeal stout. It was very good, and not to heavy. For lunch we went with the eggplant fries, yup, you heard me. eggplant, and cheese plate with sausage for an appetizer. They were all sooo good. For lunch we had the Vegetarian burger (homemade) and a brisket sandwich. The sandwich was pretty good, but others ordered the burger, which looked better.
All in all, it was very good, the only reason they don’t get 5 stars is the wait time. It took almost 45 minutes for food, granted we had 9 people. Definitely a hidden gem, and will be back when visiting.
#Yelp100

The WORST service experience ever. This place is a pretentious dump staffed by a uncaring lazy rude staff. Over priced. Poor selection. Survives because of no other completion in town. Don’t waste your time and money ingratiating this poorly run establishment. ZERO stars!

Good beer ! Good burger but $ 14.00 for 1 crab cake is excessive.

Eat it all… And drink all 6 beers!

Stopped in for a beer tasting. We didn’t have any food here, but out of all of the brews we sampled in Vermont (quite a few, by the way), this is hands down the worst.
All of them gave a terrible metallic taste in the back of the mouth, I cannot recommend them to anyone; not even the Bud/​Miller/​Coors crowd.

This is a review of the beer only. NOT the food.
I don’t understand how this place has such good reviews for their beers. I went with a couple buddies after doing a beercation across VT and NH. This was by far the worst beer we came across (followed by 7 Barrel). I give them two stars for offering a flight. I can’t imagine choking down a whole pint of one of their beers. They had a variety of styles available. It’s just too bad they all tasted the same. The worst part of them is that they all had a metallic after taste in them. Horrible. We should have know walking up to this place right away when the sign reads «Ales, Porters, and Stouts.» Porters and stouts .are ALES!
I can’t speak about the food (looked rather expensive, but hey it could be pretty good). I just hope they don’t cool with any of their beers.
I did see they offered bombers of their beers to go and tasting glasses for $ 8. No thanks.

Solid selection of brewing compared to what’s in the area (7 barrel), and some pretty good food to match.
I’d like to see more comfortable seating in/​around the bar area, the chairs were woven and kind of falling apart.
Service was good, and the buildings in/​around the inn are absolutely charming and historic.

A must stop when in Norwich, VT. After a day of skiing or a trip to King Arthur Flour for a bread making class, JMA’s is a great place to unwind and have a drink or sample one of their selections of craft brews. Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse is in the back of the Norwich Inn. Quaint little bar that serves up tasty food and craft beer that is brewed in house. Service is always great. Every time I am in Norwich, Jasper Murdock’s is on my list.
Cheers!

I have been to Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse on multiple occasions:
— Breakfast with a beer when trying to finish the VT Beer Passport.
— Brewer’s weekend with friends where we also partook in an excellent breakfast and beer dinner.
— Just stopping by on the way to New Hampshire.
Most recently, stopped by with a friend on the way to the White Mountains for New Years. Had a pint of a nice English seasonal and talked with Patrick, the previous brewmaster who was bartending.
In summary, this place makes excellent beer as well as made-​to-​order food. I think the best breakfast I have ever had in New England was at Norwich Inn.

decent beers from this microbrewery at a hotel in rural norwich, vt. sweet potato fries were good. it has a nice country brewery vibe and we got to sit outside, and we started with a flight to sample some beers and then moved onto a few pints. kinda nice that it is nearby king arthur, my favorite stores to buy flour from. the general store next door is worth checking out too.

The beer is second to none. Can be crowded, but you can grab a beer while you wait and sit anywhere in the inn.
Never had the burger, but the sweet potato fries are my favorite. Always a good special.
Go for the beer if anyrhing.

This is maybe the second worse service I have ever experienced. The place is busy, I’ll give them that, but from what I understand they are always busy. They should know how to handle it by now. Our waiter was rude, our food was cold and overcooked, and the house beers were very forgettable. If you are planning to go there to fill up your VT brewery stamp book, my advice is just to ask for the stamp and then head somewhere else to actually drink and eat.

Consistently good brews made right across the parking lot in their own brew house. As good as I remember it when I came here 10 years ago. They put out some good appetizers during happy hour as well. Nice place for a pint, but gets crowded at dinner time.