4 Hands Brewing

Every single time I’ve visited this place, I have had a less than stellar experience — until now. My friend and I wanted a few drinks after dinner, so despite my history, I suggested 4 Hands. For once, it actually wasn’t packed and I found a couple seats at the bar. We were helped almost at once. I chose Plush & Opus (two Belgians… surprise, surprise). Both were surprisingly good. My biggest issue with 4 Hands is their over abundance of hops in their beer. Some beers take it to a level of bitterness that simply isn’t necessary. Although I do prefer my saisons, I have been known to enjoy an IPA — so it’s not a palate thing. The service on this particular evening far surpassed what I have previously experienced. She was quite friendly and informative. I was so impressed, I bought a shirt (okay, so maybe I would have anyway). They have a super cool design with the St. Louis flag that I just HAD to own and it’s ridiculously soft. Overall, my opinion of 4 Hands has gotten substantially more positive, buuuut their beer game could use a little more work to keep up with places like Earthbound & Scratch (in Ava, IL).

St. Louis why you gotta be so good at beer? Yet another fabulous craft brewery with some dedicated people. The tasting room was nice and large, and they had tons of offerings. A few pub snacks on hand, but I was filling up on beer, so I didn’t partake. Next time for sure!

I’m from the West Coast so call me a snob, but on average 3 stars for the beer, 2 stars for the pricing of the tasters. I’m rounding up since they will pour you a splash of a couple beers if you’re trying to decide which to order, which allows you to sample more.
By far my favorite beer was the Hugo Saison. It was vibrant and citrusy, balanced with that complex Belgian yeastiness. I would definitely order the Hugo again… but that’s about it. Not surprisingly, by my West Coast standards the IPA and rye IPA we tried were both underwhelming — the hops added only bitterness, not much in terms of fruitiness and aromatics. They’re not bad, they’re just very plain. We therefore decided to skip the DIPA and move onto porters and stouts which we figured a Midwest brewery had a better shot at. But again, I was unimpressed. I didn’t get much maple or smoke from the Smoked Pigasus, and come to think of it, this beer was formed through some collaboration with Pappy’s Smokehouse which I was equally unimpressed with… The peanut butter milk stout was just OK, with a hint of peanut butter both not memorable otherwise. The coffee imperial stout had an intense coffee flavor which was good, but I felt like it was still lacking in complexity and could have benefited from a hint of sweetness for balance.
Perhaps the most comical thing to me was that when I went the guest taps were Ballast Point’s Sculpin IPA and grapefruit IPA and the bartender kept raving about these beers. The Sculpin IPA is readily found in SF and it’s really just A-​OK in my book. There’s usually something else I’d rather order on a beer list. So yeah, I have high standards…
After an underwhelming tasting session, we inquired about the Cuvee Ange and the Sorry Not Sorry advertised on 4 Hands’ website. The bartender told us the Cuvee Ange ran out a few weeks back but the Sorry Not Sorry was bottled and available at Schnucks, so the next time we made a grocery run we picked up a bottle for $ 8.99. We figured if Stone and Bale Breaker pulled more weight it ought to be a decent IPA and sure enough it was fairly good! The peach flavor was distinct and as we pleasantly discovered, even enhanced when paired with certain foods.
Finally, about the pricing. In cities like SF and Denver a 4 oz pour costs $ 2 – 2.50, up to $ 4 – 5 if it is a very high ABV beer (as in, 11−17% ABV). So I am utterly shocked that a St Louis brewery would charge $ 3 – 4 for a taster! It might be another story if 4 Hands beers were out of this world, but sadly, they are not.

2.5 stars.
My sis and I came to 4 Hands after some of their yeasty, funky brews caught my attention while perusing their website. Unfortunately, they didn’t actually have any of these on tap but I figured I would surely like one of their 10 or so other beers…
We tried 2 IPAs (Divided Sky Rye IPA, Resurrected), a dry hopped saison (Hugo), and the maple porter (Smoked Pigasus). The Hugo was by far the best and most balanced; it had the crispness of a farmhouse ale with a nice hoppy kick. The porter was quite boring and I couldn’t really taste the maple. The IPAs were just ok; but I admit 1 year of living on the West coast may have led me to develop unreasonably high standards… We had a taste of the imperial stout (Bona Fide) and peanut butter milk stout (Absence of Light) as well. Both were decent, heavy in coffee (Bona Fide) and peanut butter (Absence of Light) flavor, but lacking in complexity otherwise and ultimately not exciting enough that we felt the need to get another 5 oz of them.
I’m docking 0.5 star because of the price. They no longer offer flights (so don’t be deceived by the pics on Unilocal!). What kind of brewery doesn’t offer flights?! 5 oz samplers are $ 3 – 4, and note that they are VERY small 5 oz pours — they honestly seem more like 4 oz. On top of that, our bartender claimed that they typically limit customers to 2 – 3 pours but he offered to do more for us because business was fairly slow on a Sunday afternoon. Are you kidding me? The beer lover in me needs more than 10 – 15 oz of beer!
…Or maybe I don’t; not at 4 Hands, at least. Look, there was nothing wrong with the beer. The Hugo Saison was quite good; the rest were simple and straightforward. If you like milk stouts you’ll likely enjoy theirs; if you’re looking for a stout with intense coffee flavor the Bona Fide will fill that need. But I’m still a little too turned off by the pricing and stinginess of the samplers. I love exploring craft breweries to taste lots of new flavors; I felt like I was limited at 4 Hands… which kind of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?
Sorry, 4 Hands — I may be a little too hipster for you…

Great atmosphere, sat at the rail, sampled many including the peanut butter chocolate milk which was shockingly good and drinkable! Pleasant bar tenders, nice little kitchen that is a separate walk up window had the meatballs and prosciutto which were delicious. Really enjoyed all of the beers and watching them craft them live. Thanks for the experience!

Really unique, smallish space with several great brews on tap. If you love porters and stouts, this is your place. Chocolate stout, chocolate peanut butter stout, Amber rye porter, coffee stout, and others. Very rich and not overly bitter.
They have samplers of 5oz for $ 3 – 4, so if you want to try several you can.
Service is OK, nothing special but they get the job done.
I like this spot better than Schlafly, but I would consider both to be must visits.

I really do love to come here to drink in the middle of the afternoon on the weekend. If you can’t decide what to drink (or if it is your first time here, you can order a flight of beers). There is a small restaurant inside the bar that serves some high-​end bar food. During the summer, make sure to take advantage of the outdoor seating. There are about 4 tables outside. There is also a bike rack in front.
There is plenty of seating at the bar, a huge communal table (don’t be afraid to ask someone to move over to squeeze in), and several stand-​alone tables in the space. There is additional seating to the right of the front door. The list of featured beers is on the wall directly above the taps.
There is a fridge for buying beer to go and a wall of branded merchandise (shirts, hats, hoodies, stickers). You can also buy a growler or bring your own to be filled with a beer of your choice and take home. Don’t forget to look for their holiday packs that come with a mason jar.
During the summer, I attended several pop-​up events behind the brewery at their «container bar». This is literally a shipping container turned into a bar. There was a wrestling match once, a pop-​up chicken restaurant, brats, and even a movie projected onto a blow up screen. There is also an all-​you-​can-​drink beer festival each year (Lupulin) featuring beers from many different breweries, a Ferris Wheel, carnival acts, and games– get tickets early since it always sells out!

I’m hooked on their Peanut Butter Stout. I like the brewery and its ambiance. Always playing good tunes to go with the chill laid back atmosphere. Bartenders are in top of their game and the food is good. The service at the bar and in the restaurant are always great as well.

4 Hands is a unique microbrewery in St. Louis and has a lot of variety of beers. The first time I went with a friend, they had several different porters and stouts on tap (you must try the Chocolate Milk stout, you will not regret it, even if you usually don’t like stouts). The second time I came back months later, they had several hoppier beers– at least 3 IPAs and a wet-​hopped saison. The wet-​hopped saison was very delicious, easy drinking like a saison with just the right amount of hops. If the Cash Money is available, give it a taste– very drinkable smooth IPA with a helluva kick at 8.5% abv.
They have some limited food options here, primarily snack foods. It smelled really good but I did not try anything.

5 words:
Peanut Butter. Chocolate Milk. Stout.
This is really all you need to know. If that shizz is on tap, get it.

Uninviting, sterile, and cold are just a few words to begin my description of 4 hands brewery.
As a native philadelphian, I was so excited to spend time at 4 hands when traveling to Saint Louis. Upon arrival, my boyfriend and I sat down at the bar. It took the bartenders at least 5 minutes to come to us initially, although there were, at most, 10 other people in the entire bar. Finally, once approached, I asked if they did flights. I think the bartender and I miscommunicated because he looked at me like I had a thousand heads. Finally, he told me they served some 5 oz pours. He walked away. 5 minutes later when he came back, he very begrudgingly gave me a piece of paper that I had asked for to write down the flights.
I went to order food, and when I came back to the wide, stainless steel bar, there were only 3 beers, not the 6 I had wanted to order. Not sure why the female bartender only gave us 3?
The food was not only disgusting, but cold. When I asked them to heat it up (because let’s be honest, nachos are meant to be warm) they took it as a personal offense.
They made plenty of attempts to flirt with the opposite genders at the bar and totally ignored us when our drinks were empty.
We left without getting our last 3 beers. To be honest, I’m done with 4 hands all together. I will happily skip over them on a menu any day. If you’re looking for an awesome brewery in Saint Louis, head to Square One instead.

We have been wanting to check this place out for months. We finally go this past Saturday about 1pm (9÷26÷15) and stood at the bar for several minutes and not even an acknowledgement from one of the two bartenders that they would be right with us and one of them was literally 2′ from us. THe place looks cool but there are several breweries in town to check out.

My girlfriend and I were looking for beer brewed by a local brewery. We like the stuff from that big name brewery in the area but we were looking for something handcrafted and special. We found this at 4 Hands.
We grabbed a few seats at the bar and ordered the Volume 3 and the Cuvée Ange. Both of them were delicious.
The bartenders were able to describe their offerings to us with precision and answered all of our questions without issue.
Next time we are in St. Louis we will definitely be back. Definitely recommend this place to all of those people looking for a good beer and good people.
P. s. They helped us locate where we can buy their beer in Philly. Ask them to help you locate their beer in your town.

I’ve been here twice, and they have a nice brewpub. I’ve tried 10+ beers, and the only one that really struck my fancy was their milk chocolate stout. That one is damn delicious. Some of the pales were decent too. Their sour line up could really use some work though. This brewpub get’s the «a-​okay» rating from me. I probably won’t bother to come back next time I’m in St. Louis due to the presence of Side Project and Perennial, but I would stop in if someone I was with wanted to check it out.

I have labeled myself as not being a «beer kind of girl». Well, self-​label or not, 4 Hands has proved me wrong time and time again!
4 Hands is my go-​to place for meeting friends for a drink. They always have a great selection on tap (for $ 5 a pour) and there is plenty of seating both inside and outside. The décor is super cool (with their artfully designed 4 Hands hop covering the walls) & the staff has always been nothing short of helpful and accommodating. Additionally, their menu is masterfully delivered by The Fifth Wheel, which falls under the Bailey chain of restaurants. My pick is the soft pretzel bites with cheese on the side!
I have also stopped by on a Saturday afternoon for their free tour with a group of 8 people and we really enjoyed it! The 4 Hands space is a little bit more intimate and has a very family-​oriented feel, from the story of how they got started to the small hard-​working staff. The added wit (and Wit beer!) provided by their bar staff during the tour made these an even more enjoyable experience!
During my visits to 4 Hands, I have sampled some of their lighter pours including the Single Speed (blonde ale with jasmine), Pyrus (saison with pear juice, peppercorns, & orange zest), Opus (saison brewed with tea and fruit), Sugar & Spice (winter warm ale containing baking spices & inspired by the fruitcake), Send Help (dry-​hopped blonde ale), & the Peacemaker (Belgian Wit beer with cardamon, orange, and lemon peel). I have also tried their Chocolate Milk Stout and, to my own surprise, really enjoyed it! My go to is the Peacemaker: it’s light and flavorful, a great pick for the summer months. Also, having sampled it at the Peacemaker in Benton Park, I would definitely agree that it is extra tasty when paired with seafood.
Looking for a craft brewery in STL with a chill atmosphere, unique and flavorful brews, delicious snacks, and some pretty cool décor/​graphic art? 4 Hands is my pick time and time again. :)

This was the second time I came here and it continued to delight. I like how it is in a quiet industrial area. It allows one to sit outside and not worry to much about cars driving by. The food looks good. THere is a nice diverse beer selection. This is my favorite brewery in town at the moment.

This is a great st. Louis craft Brewer just south of Downtown. Its located in an industrial area. There is indoor/​outdoor seating as well. 4 Hands layout makes it easier to enjoy a conversation unlike UCBH which gets really loud.
What I like most about 4 Hands is the beer. My favorites are the divided sky IPA and the Chocolate Milk Stout. I haven’t had the food here but it looks great. They have $ 9 growler refills on Thursdays.

4 Hands Brewing surprisingly even to me gets 2 stars on Unilocal.Barely.
When visiting tonight after travelling quite a way looking forward to an «experience» came across a simple a bar where you can see them brewing beer from inside. There was only one person serving people (about 10 – 15 at the time) that not only knew nothing about the food (Fifth Wheel) she seemed so disinterested in flavor pairings that she even stated that «that’s a different business». It is right at the end of the bar for god’s sake, how can you know nothing about the food when the same guy serving it serves from behind the same counter?
I’ve tried every beer they are currently selling in the last three days, ending with the Oatmeal Brown (as I write as the last). It will be the last I seek out. Why? These beers have cute names and graphics yet aside from that, they are nothing that anyone hasn’t already done and not better in any way.
And there wasn’t anyone here to convince me otherwise as the only person serving had no interest in us, where we were from, what types of beers we like, nor any enthusiasm at all.
There will be a fall out in the next few years as to which craft brews survive as there are already too many. The idea of serving food which matches at a brewery thus making it a destination is great and will be required of the survivors. This establishment has the ingredients yet lacks the execution of such.
Where are the tours? I wanted to go inside and look closer and be given some history to become a fan, yet all my wife and I were, just people to sell to at the bar. $ 3 for 5 oz tastes, no flights offered. Almost wish I had spent my time going to the Budweiser tour instead. Oh well, that’s tomorrow.
Timing our visit with the release of their new Hugo Saison today was a let down. Guess I’ll just go back down to Texas and make my own Saison (which is far superior) and keep looking for a cutting edge micro brewery to visit. 4 hands was quite a let down.

The peanut butter is smooth and delicious. It wasn’t too crowded on Monday night. They had a 1220 series 2 cherry stout is pretty good if you love sweeter beer. It has a slight alcoholy finish.
The space is beautiful.
Nice service

I’ve gone back and forth on how to frame this review for about two weeks now. I’m not a beer aficionado and we didn’t order food so I’ve been unsure what to write. I did have a sampler of four different beers and really liked three of them. The forth one… I gave away once I saw the description as it had a lot of coffee flavor and I do not like coffee.
On a Saturday afternoon this place was bustling and pretty packed. The music was loud but not offensive and the service at the bar was prompt and accurate. They also have a bookcase near the door that seemed to be an honor system lending library. Unique but cool.
The beer selection here seems to change so frequently that their offerings are written in chalk. They were giving tours but I’ve spent enough time walking around the back of craft breweries that I decided to skip it as I was dressed for a business formal dinner.
All in all, this place seems to be a great addition to the St. Louis craft brewery scene. I would certainly go back if the the opportunity presents itself but doubt I will seek them out as it wasn’t really my scene.