It's holiday season, and here come the relatives and long-lost college roommates and god knows who else.

Inevitably, you will need to get everybody out of the house.  If your plan is to avoid the usual suspects—the Space Needle, say, or the Great Wheel—and to turn things decidedly boozy, at least one option remains. Copperworks Distilling Company, located at the epicenter of stuff-your-holiday-guests-want-to-do (1250 Alaskan Way, at University Street and Alaskan Way), aims to educate while warming you up.

Behind the scenes group tours of the distillery last about 45 minutes and include an explanation of the distilling process, plus ample time to ogle the gorgeous copper tanks and vintage Art Nouveau bar (which used to live at the B&O Espresso on Capitol Hill), ask all of your burning booze-related questions, and finish up with a tasting of the distillery's gin and vodka. Tours are kept small—no more than 10 per group—happen Friday through Sunday, and cost $5 per guest ($4 if you reserve for five or more people). And make sure you reserve your tour spots ahead of time. 

Although the whiskey isn't ready yet, we recently sampled Copperworks' gin and vodka and—in our professional opinion—would not mind tasting them again.