The new Idle Hands brewery brings Belgian-style beer and food trucks to Malden

Malden is officially home to its first microbrewery: Idle Hands Craft Ales.

Last week, Idle Hands opened the doors to its new, 5,300-square-foot brewery space at 89 Commercial St., just minutes from downtown Malden.

The company, which has been brewing Belgian-style and German-inspired beers since 2011, was previously pushed out of its Everett location due to the Wynn Resorts casino construction.

To the Idle Hands team, it’s been a blessing.

“Our old location had a tasting room the size of a postage stamp,” founder Chris Tkach said. “It didn’t provide a great customer experience, it didn’t have the space to do full pours—the new location has all that.”

Along with packing in more people, the Malden location is also producing more beer. Tkach said that Idle Hands bumped up their production from a five barrel system at the old Everett spot to a 15 barrel system in their new building. All in all, the business invested nearly $900,000 into its new home.

Though Tkach considers Idle Hands to be a Belgian and German-focused brewery, it does make an array of beer styles, from IPAs to lagers, so that there’s something for everyone.

“Part of the experience of opening the tap room is providing those beers, so customers can walk through the door and be able to find something they like,” Tkach said.

Along with libations like the Patriarch table beer and a Belgian Pale Ale with rosemary, the brewery pairs with a rotating selection of food trucks during weekends and special events—the Bone Daddy burger truck was there for the grand opening last week. Idle Hands also stocks sandwiches and snacks from Malden’s Mystic Station eatery.

Idle Hands is near public transportation, just a few minutes walk from the Malden Center T stop on the Orange Line. The brewery is open Monday to Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m.