There is nothing better than local breweries. Ones that are either right down the street from your home or ones that won’t use up too much gas to get to.
The village of Whitinsville had one in Purgatory Brewing that sadly closed in Fall of 2023. But soon after it was announced that a new brewery and taproom would be moving into the exact same location where Purgatory once welcomed the thirsty local and beer traveler.
Enter the husband and wife team of Ben and Adrienne Roesch, who have now opened this beer destination they have named Murder Hill!
Ben Roesch is well known in the Massachusetts brewing scene as the famed brewmaster of Wormtown Brewery in Worcester. With Murder Hill, Ben and Adrienne bring their expertise to run their own business and introduce the area to their distinctive offerings.
Named after an area of woods on a hill surrounding the Roesch’s home, Murder Hill can be found at the Linwood Mill complex in what is technically Northbridge, MA. Easy to spot with it’s large sign and canopy above the door, you will walk into Murder HIll to see a very plain yet purposeful beer hall filled with long tables, stands and a small sized bar. So whether you want to converse with fellow beer drinkers or space yourself out for some privacy, the seating options are available to your preference.
Not much of the interior has changed from what was once Purgatory (the formerly green colored steel beams are now painted black) and the inner brick and concrete “cellar” feel still exists.
Usually when you hear word of a new brewery opening you know you’re going to have to wait a bit for those first initial pours. However, to make sure the public got their hands on some initial beers while the brewing system is fine tuned, Ben and Adrienne have collaborated with other Massachusetts breweries to develop what they call “The Side Piece Project”.
This project collaborates with brewery industry friends: Cambridge Brewing, Cape Cod Beer, Craft Roots, Double Down, Seven Saws and Timberyard. All have joined in with Murder Hill to deliver high quality, local selections.
Murder Hill will eventually be releasing their own solo creations but it is so good to see them get things up and running as soon as possible. Especially for myself who couldn’t wait to walk into Murder Hill and actually entered their doors about an hour after they cut the ribbon for their Grand Opening.
I wanted to try as much of these projects as possible, so I did my best to “run the gauntlet” with my ordering. Between myself and my drinking buddy we ordered pints of:
- West Coast IPA (Double Down)
- Wheat Lager Aged on Cedar (Cambridge Brewing)
- C&C Amber Ale (Cape Cod)
- Coffee Stout (Cape Cod)
- Black Lager (Cambridge Brewing)
I always love when breweries spread out the number of styles they serve and not focus on just one popular selection. Here I enjoyed the distinctive flavors of 5 different varieties and found each to be flavorful and well worth ordering. From the hint of pine in the West Coast IPA, to the roasted java of the Stout, the strong maltiness of the Amber and the dark and dry lager…all of the choices were quite tasty. The one I found the most intriguing was the Wheat Lager Aged On Cedar. A very funky, Saison-esqe taste made this interesting beer a definite must try.
Crowlers are available for anything on draft, so I ordered a New England IPA (Seven Saws) to-go. I found this to be super flavorful with a subtle tropical vibe.
There are also Hard Seltzer options available, with either Raspberry or Blueberry flavoring.
Bags of chips are available for snacking, as are water and soda. For those with bigger appetites, Food Trucks are scheduled to be making appearances.
For a Friday afternoon, just after they initially opened the doors, the crowd at Murder Hill was full, lively and obviously excited to have this new brewery in their neck of the woods. I myself cannot wait until my next visit and to try some of their other upcoming creations.
Welcome to the neighborhood!
Location: 670 Linwood Ave, Building C, Whitinsville, MA, 01588
Serving Options:
- 16 oz pours
- Growlers To-Go
Food: Bags of Chips, Food Trucks
Merchandise: Yes
Dog Friendly: Yes
Hours of Operation (as of this posting):
- Thursday – 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Friday – 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Saturday – 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Sunday – 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
