Jim Koch and the company he founded, Boston Beer, made lending a hand to entrepreneurs a corporate priority with the launch in 2008 of the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream microloan program. So I can't say I'm surprised to see the folks at Boston Beer piggybacking on the success of American Express' Small Business Saturday, in that program's second year.

There's probably no better way to help small businesses than to give them more of an opportunity to reach new customers. And that's exactly what Boston Beer will be doing with its new holiday marketplace, offering a stark contrast to the big box madness of Black Friday.

Boston Beer will host the open market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at its Jamaica Plain brewery as a way to showcase the wares of eight local business owners. This diverse group will sell sausages, jams, caramels, breads and other products. The vendors will consist of entrepreneurs who use the nearby CropCircle Kitchen as well as alums of the Brewing the American Dream program - a program that a spokeswoman says has provided loans and coaching to more than 60 businesses in the state with the help of nonprofit lender Accion USA.

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