Idle Hands Craft Ales

"Rich Sim does his Texas-style barbecue pop-up around the city, with a regular appearance at Idle Hands Craft Ales in Malden. Sim’s passion-driven smoked meats have amassed some following: The thickly sliced brisket is tender and juicy, and you can customize the fat-to-lean meat ratio to your liking. Another standout is the kimchi slaw, which perfectly cuts the fattiness in a pulled pork sandwich. Be sure to follow the Sim’s BBQ website for updates for additional pop-ups at other breweries such as Widowmaker in Braintree." - Valerie Li Stack, Rachel Leah Blumenthal

"Malden has some of the best food, bars, and breweries outside of the Boston metro area, and Idle Hands is a top drinking and eating destination in the neighborhood. Take the Orange Line 15 minutes from downtown and post up in their medium-sized taproom or patio if it’s nice out. The beer lineup leans heavily on New England-style IPAs, with local and seasonal ingredients prominently featured—one of our favorites is the summer-only blueberry ale that’s tangy, fragrant, and slightly sweet. They also collaborate with food pop-ups, like Sim’s, a Texas barbecue spot with a Korean twist, on some Fridays and Saturdays. Their brisket and pull pork sandwich with kimchi slaw is what you want.  " - valerie li stack

"Malden has some of the best food, bars, and breweries outside of the Boston metro area, and Idle Hands is a top drinking and eating destination in the neighborhood. Take the Orange Line 15 minutes from downtown and post up in their medium-sized taproom or patio if it’s nice out. The beer lineup leans heavily on New England-style IPAs, with local and seasonal ingredients prominently featured—one of our favorites is the summer-only blueberry ale that’s tangy, fragrant, and slightly sweet. They also collaborate with food pop-ups, like Sim’s, a Texas barbecue spot with a Korean twist, on some Fridays and Saturdays. Their brisket and pull pork sandwich with kimchi slaw is what you want." - Valerie Li Stack

"Idle Hands Craft Ale welcomes Italian street-food pop-up Koselig Posto into its Malden taproom for a day of arancini and ale, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Koselig Posto is a mashup of Italian fare with Norwegian cozy vibes. Comforting flavors crafted by Koselig Posto include arancini filled with pesto, along with sausage, peppers, and onions among the rotating offerings. Wash the bites down with the Gretel German-style pilsner and other brews from Idle Hands." - Erika Adams

"Malden brewery Idle Hands welcomes children 12 and under with a parent or guardian; otherwise, it’s 21+. (Children who cannot sit on a lap throughout the visit should be included in the headcount for reservations.) The patio — which is also open to well-behaved, leashed dogs — is unheated and open only when weather permits. In addition to its lineup of beers, Idle Hands is serving grilled cheese and pretzels. No reservations; all areas of the taproom are first come, first served. Idle Hands is currently offering indoor and outdoor seating (and there’s standing room, too), as well as beer and merch sales to go." - Rachel Leah Blumenthal