Norwich Inn was the first stop on our Vermont tour. This historic inn is located just past the border of Vermont and New Hampshire, and is home to Jasper Murdock Ales.
It’s a charming property right on the main street. The brewpub and restaurant is open to the public and features a line-up of six beers brewed on-site. The space is small but bright with just a few seats at the bar and about eight 5-seater tables. The brewery is also small, a four-barrel brew house that produces 125-gallon batches. They proudly claim to be one of America’s smallest breweries.
Bowls of mixed spiced nuts and pretzels line the bar, and behind it are the hand carved taps and a range of spirits. They only have one year-round brew called Whistling Pig, an Irish Red. The remaining taps are always changing.
On the day of our visit, there was an eclectic mix of everything from Dunkel Weisen to English Brown Porter to Export. Our favourite was the HAPPY HAPPY, an imperial lager made with Cascade and Ahtanium hops.
There are sample trays available. They cost $6 for four 3oz samples. They don’t have growlers, but you can get beer to go in bottles. There’s more variety in the bottles than on tap, and each 650 ml sells for $7.20 except their premium stock coming in at just under $10. They bottle it just once a year.
They also partner with a local cheese company from Woodstock to make a Whistling Pig Ale Cheddar, which is a lovely, sharp, and flavourful cheese made with their Whistling Pig Irish Red.
Jasper Murdock beer is only available on-site at the Norwich Inn, so be sure to stop in to pick up a bottle, or spend the night. They have beer themed packages at the inn, including a “Bake and Brew” package, where guests get an introduction to brewing and a lesson in baking with beer.
Location:
The Norwich Inn
325 Main Street
Norwich, Vermont
Website: http://www.norwichinn.com/
Growlers Available: No
Bottles Available: Yes
Sample Trays: $6 for four 3oz samples
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