My take on the breweries around. I don't like Northern Lights much. Decent food and decent beer. Their beer doesn't flow well for my taste, but I like darker beers. They taste like many other beers around and is nothing special, IMHO, although I have some friends that like them.
The Coeur d'Alene brewing company has some decent beers. I enjoy their Vanilla Bourbon Stout and a couple of their other beers. I'd recommend giving them a try.
Next to Northern Lights is Washingtons distillery, Dry Fly. They give mini tours but no samples.
Oh, in Coeur d'Alene is another distillery that has great food. Bardenay(
Restaurant & Distillery in Boise, Eagle and Coeur d'Alene Idaho - Bardenay Restaurant and Distillery) its called.
Unfortunately we don't have many great breweries around. I have heard of a couple smaller ones that give tours in Spokane, but have yet to find any contact info on them(I guess they're that small)