I think this section covers some of that. I post in my local regional thread (Who's Brewing on Long Island) when I visit a new brewery. I'll see what the administrators think.
The forum "Brewing Events & Local Gatherings" (sorted by State) would be an HBT section to possibly put it in ... as long as it does not get lost there and is "out of sight and out of mind". We want people to know see it and use it.
I'd say that the right setup would be a state-searchable main-forum, with the forum listing the establishments as a sub-forum of that ... just like the current "Brewing Events ..." main forum is currently set up.
The benefit to a dedicated sub-forum under a main forum (like the example: "Brewing Events & Local Gatherings" sorted by State) of Breweries and Brewpubs etc would be that each *thread* in it can be specific to the establishment, or even the city.
Compare that to having a mere *thread* started for Breweries, Brewpubs, Cideries, Mead Houses, and Wineries; and relying on reading all the individual posts through the entire thread of however many pages to find (or not find) the information you need.
It needs to be a tool you can actually use when you're looking for somewhere to go *that very day* .... and a tool which people will proactively list those establishments in without being asked in a recommendation request.
I took a look at sub-forums for Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Texas, New York, and California in the "Brewing Events & Local Gatherings" main forum ...
There was a *total* of just
two threads in Ohio that had such information; and
one thread in Wisconsin.
That's it.
Why so few? ...
Because you have to *ask* for recommendations and then *wait* to get the information.
A dedicated forum area (that people can find and are aware of) is not only set up better to present the information that is appropriate to finding and evaluating an establishment to go to ...
but also is much more compelling for people to take it upon themselves make entries which list their favorite places and tell something about them.
(as well, there might be affiliate marketing/advertising opportunities to be had as well ... inexpensive advertisement to the most specific target-market audience a brewery will ever find? ... as a business, that sounds attractive.)