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    Idle Hands Craft Ales

    4.3 (110 reviews)
    InexpensiveBreweries
    Open 12:00 pm - 11:00 PM

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    Winter Ale
    Courtney F.

    We had a great time at Idle Hands last night! This spacious brewery has a really relaxed vibe, lots of seating, decent parking, and a big shelf of board games. Their beer is excellent and they have a big selection - really something for everyone (I even saw a house made hard seltzer on the menu!). They have a rotating event calendar with food pop ups, and a nice outdoor space as well. Their team was super friendly and welcoming! Looking forward to coming back soon!

    Build your own flights
    Katie E.

    Discovered this place pretty randomly after looking for a spot to grab a beer after a nearby hike and boy am I glad I did! The brewery has a decent sized patio out front with tables and plenty of room for my pup to join us, along with lots of large tables inside the tap room. They have a pretty solid merch selection inside and my boyfriend and his brother were happy to see they had the Pats game up on several large TVs. It was pretty quiet here on a Saturday afternoon which is a nice change from the packed breweries in downtown Boston. We each got a flight and ordered some soft pretzels and grilled cheeses to share. The food is super basic but it was nice to have something to snack on while we drank. The 4 stars here is allll about the beer. The Four Seam was my favorite of the day but I honestly enjoyed them all. Overall this place is a fun, relaxing spot to grab a beer, I only with it was closer to the city so it wouldn't be such an undertaking to visit more regularly.

    Inside
    Cristina R.

    I love Idle Hands! It's the chill neighborhood spot we all need. Walking distance from Malden Center, they have a dog-friendly patio as well as picnic tables inside. On warmer days, it's so fun to watch the pups play while the owners enjoy some beers. You can BYOF, and they host food pop-ups on certain days. Oh and did I mention the beers? They're DELISH. Lots of great New England IPAs and other styles like Belgian triple, wheat, and porter. We got a Brewers Flight as well as built our own flight so that we could try 8 different ones. We especially enjoyed the Two Seams, Sabro Ball, Blanche, and Triplication. There are a variety of games inside, and you can buy merch & cans to take home. The laid-back vibe (plus awesome beers) makes an afternoon here so comfortable and fun!

    Yangsoo S.

    Good beer/service, mediocre food I had grater and seasonal fruity beer, they were tasty and our server was very attentive. I would not recommend getting food here tho, grill cheese I had was smaller than ones I had in kindergarten and pretzel my friend had was mediocre at best. Overall good experience

    Ayatt A.

    I love having a brewery right in Malden! Idle Hands is wonderful. They have a nice outdoor patio and plenty of parking. The service is great and really friendly. The beer is even better! I had a sour that had the most amazing bite. I highly recommend it!!

    Idle Hands in Malden (just north of Boston)
    Bruce K.

    Brewed beer here at Idle Hands, the stuff is made right on sight. It is beer only with no food, but it looks like they have a pretty good rotation of food trucks - one pulled up and passed out menus during the dinner time when I was here. Free wifi worked well while I drank my delicious beer. I opted for the "Adelais", a German-style Pilsner that was nice and crisp with a very light citrus note to it. It is served in a proper half liter stein. Perfect. There is plenty of outside and inside seating, though the outside is right on a rather major looking road.

    Dan W.

    I really enjoy Idle Hands Craft Ales. They have a great selection of Bavarian-style brews and are steps away from the Malden Center T station. They've made some excellent additions to the team behind the bar in the last few months, very helpful and friendly faces representing the business. My favorite beers are the Adelais, which is a German Pilsner, Blanche De Grace (when they have it) a Belgian witbier, and Brunhilda, a Dunkel. Idle Hands has regular events hosted by Brato, including Beer Dinners, which pair multiple courses with beer tastings. They also have a lot of pop-ups, my favorite being Eat More Mexican¡. My least favorite is Hot Chix Nashville Hot Chicken, which has served me severely undercooked chicken. I brought it up, and they told me to "hit us up next time, and we'll cook you another, we just ran out." No thanks, not interested in your raw chicken guys. No fault to Idle Hands for the Hot Chix issues. Overall, it's an awesome spot in Malden that seems to be doing a good job evolving and staying fresh. This is important considering the transformation underway in Malden that is bringing in new businesses, including breweries.

    Beer Menu
    Ryan F.

    Had drinks at Idle Hands Craft Ales on Saturday afternoon. A nice beer list, but the packed space and limited food menu are small downsides. Quality: Idle Hands Craft Ales has a solid, diverse, and high-quality beer list. They clearly have a desire to keep old world beers on the menu, but also recognize folks want juicy IPAs. During my visit I ordered a Sampler with Brunhilda, Four Seam, 34, and Barrel-Aged Double Crossroader, and I had Draft Pours of Change-Up #20, Splitter, and Kill Your Idles. My favorite of the bunch was Splitter, one of three NE IPAs, and the one I felt had the best balance. I was also a fan of their imperial stout, and with more time would have loved to try the stronger maple edition. They only offer pretzels and grilled cheese for food, but at the end of our visit a pop-up hot chicken sandwiches place had arrived. Quantity: Sampler came with four 5oz pours, Draft Pours were standard. Value: $14 for a Tickers Delight (Sampler). $7-$9.50 for Draft Pours. Ambiance: Idle Hands Craft Ales is located in Malden, just outside Boston. The brewery is small and stout, with the equipment taking up the majority of the space. A long bar stretched the length of the warehouse with a few rows of picnic tables next to it. In the corner they had a shuffleboard table, which was constantly in use by children. There was also a small outdoor patio, but the combination of cold weather and its location next to the road did not make it very appealing. Crowd: From the moment we arrived it was very busy. They have limited seating, and as a result several guests chose to sit outside in the cold. Service: Friendly and efficient staff. Even with a big crowd, they had beers coming out quick. Parking: Small private parking lot on the side of the brewery.

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    Nice beer selection, plenty of parking and good food trucks. They also support the arts.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Nice brewery and space with lots of beer options for everyone. I had a radler which you don't see often and it was great.

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Love their seasonal sour series and six seam! Fun indoor seating right near the brew area. Would recommend.

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    8 years ago

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Idle Hands Craft Ales

    How much is a crowler/freshie?

    Crowlers range from $11 to $13 (usually). Depends on what beer is being filled.

    Do you fill growlers that aren't branded with your logo?

    We do not. If we do not already have the beer in cans, our to go package is a 32oz Crowler (Can). We moved away from growlers due to the health code requirements in our city.

    I was thinking of hosting a 30th birthday party for my son here, is there a space for a group of between 20 to 30 people and do they serve food at a reasonable price?

    They don't really serve food. They have a couple of things like German pretzels to nibble when you drink beer. That said, they bring in outside vendors all the time. I am sure you could have it catered. It's a great space for an adult birthday party… Read more

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    Review Highlights - Idle Hands Craft Ales

    I opted for the "Adelais", a German-style Pilsner that was nice and crisp with a very light citrus note to it.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Idle Hands Craft Ales - breweries - Updated May 2026

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