A couple of points:
In the USA, nearly all Masonic lodges are "bone dry". No alcohol at all ,no wine no beer, zippo. I find it bizarre, to see grown men, at a table lodge, toasting each other with Nehi grape juice.
If you want a libation, and masonic fellowship at the same time, then you join the Grotto or the Shrine, or one of the other appendants.
Some lodges have "lodge dinners", and if they occur in the lodge building, then no alcohol is permitted.
Now as to Masonic education and ritual, there is one analogy that I like.
The three Craft degrees, can be considered to be "vertical", the EA , then the FC, and then the MM. The MM degree is the "pinnacle" of Freemasonry, there are no higher degrees.
If a Mason wishes to learn more about the esoteric, philosophical , and historical underpinnings of Freemasonry, then he can pursue the York Rite and/or the Scottish Rite. These degrees can be considered "horizontal", and the instruction presented in these Rites, will serve to strengthen and support the "vertical" aspects of Craft Masonry.
The York Rite also incorporates some of the Christian aspects of Freemasonry in the Knights Templar degrees. The Scottish Rite is non-sectarian.
The York Rite has several charities, one of them is the Eye Foundation, which sponsors eye surgery for individuals who cannot otherwise afford it. The York Rite a terrific program which offers full, all-expense paid scholarships for Christian Pastors to visit Israel, and the various historical sites of that country.
The Scottish Rite (southern jurisdiction USA) has a marvelous program of 100 childhood speech/language/hearing disorders clinics where children get treatment and instructions, at low cost or for free.