In December, Rusty Figgins will bring a new class of students to XO Alambic to continue his craft distilling course onsite through the Spirits Institute of Puget Sound (SIPS). The institute, which he co-founded in 2010, has graduated 320 students.

Liberty Commons at Big Rock Brewery is a modern-day brewpub characterizing Toronto's trendy restaurant scene by serving comfort food with a gourmet touch and blending the traditional British pub with Toronto-inspired diversity.

Almost everything in the distillery is handcrafted by either Vince or Donna which makes for a truly one of a kind experience.

Many grocery retailers talk about experiential shopping, but few deliver the level of interactivity that Loews does, bold examples of food theater that entice folks to visit the store and bring the young'uns rather than site at home and order groceries online – which Lowe's also provides, if you're not in the mood for breakfast, lunch or dinner and a show.

From a seat at the bar or at a table in the adjacent dinning area, guests can enjoy beer created just a few yards away, along with other microbrews. The Simpsonville Beer Den has eight taps – twice as many as at other stores to accommodate in housemade beers.

Artisan Brews, now mainstream, rev up to score their share of seasonal sales, in common with other beverage alcohol segments.

Despite their reputation as a small, quirky alternative to the increasingly monolithic major players in the category, craft beers are now decidedly part of the mainstream, with some of them, strictly speaking, not really craft beers at all, or not any more.