John and I recently popped into Island Grove Winery tasting room and was referred to check out Fish Hawk Spirits in Ocala. We had a trip down to the Tampa area to see family and decided we would hit them up on the way home- it's about 20 minutes off I75 heading West on 40 and then you enter the twilight zone. We are cruising through farmland and John points at the navigation and says look at that huge community out here in the middle of nowhere. A diamond shaped pattern of roads and intersections appeared on the screen and that is where GPS was taking us- into this what-appeared-to-be neighborhood. Follow that nav- trust me. Aw the road changes from paved to gravel you will feel like you slipped into the twilight zone or a horror flick or simply that there is no way a distillery is out there. It is. The property was selected based on water supply- spring water. It was never intended to host customers, but Fish Hawk has a wonderful bar setup in the backyard. Yes- you are going to a farm/home/working distillery. Pro tip- call ahead for reservations and have no other plans for the day. You will be treated as old friends and the conversation will be fun, entertaining and real. The samples of Whiskey, Rum, Vodka, Brandy & Absinthe will keep the conversation flowing, as will the craft cocktails, expertly made. The Old Fashioned was divine! And I loved my color changing Lemon Drop! This will probably be the most interesting distillery find ever for me & that's saying A LOT. Matthew was waving us in from the road and was so entertaining, his son behind the bar made sure we had our samples and cocktails and a few toasts were made. Conversation waxed on and the light dimmed. How long have we been here??? Just before the sunset we did a quick tour of the facility- they had a lighting strike that forced a remodel and things were temporarily out of place. That didn't stop Matthew from educating us! My favorites: Conquistador 1513- John and I tried 2 different batches of this whiskey and the one I had was bottled this year and so smooth. It's 100% Oat mash bill using half smoked and half rolled Oats from farmers in Northern Florida and aged with barrels and chips ot create a smokey oatmeal finish. I bought this bottle and it will be one of my most prized bottles on my bar. Marion 106 Black- This is a much higher proof fruit based brandy- deep flavors that linger and fill your mouth, I fully expected to buy this and I probably will next time I visit! It's tangerine based and delightful. La Septima- a bold Black Rum. A friend of the owner popped in and chatted for a bit and said to make sure I try this rum, the he had a bottle on his bar because it is so good. I LOVE rum. Whiskey, bourbon and rum are my go-to choices. They had 4 different rums and I only sampled this one and I took this bottle home. I loved the warmth in this bottle. I even convinced another guest to try it when he had his mind made up to buy a bottle of whiskey only. He took home both! Any of my friends who enjoy tastings- I will certainly send here! Worth the day trip from Jacksonville for sure! There is so much more to say~ but this is already a lengthy review! read more

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An excellent distillery with a nice tiki bar for sampling. The owner and staff are very friendly and knowledgeable about their products. Mostly whiskies, rums and vodkas at present but they occasionally experiment with other distilled spirits. Their whiskies are some of my favorites. Grains, water and herbs used to make their products are from their farm next to the distillery which is fed by Rainbow Springs in Dunnellon. Take note that the cell signals out there are very weak and you'll need a GPS to find your destination. read more

After reading the other reviews, I have to agree with most of them. This place is warm, friendly, entertaining, and the cocktails are really fantastic! The owner and his son were our hosts, the son was our talented bartender who obviously has some experience with their signature cocktails... they were spot on! The old fashioned was just the right amount of sweet & fruit with the tang from the whiskey. The gin's botanicals were deliciously refreshing and made a truly superb gin and tonic. The owner is a likable guy who enjoys telling stories and interacting with the guests. His story about the origin of the term "shot" to describe a portion of liquor is very entertaining. There's only one caveat about this place, it could use some... tidying up! I get the whole rustic vibe, but the tour area is very crowded, mostly with buckets, random tools and... kinda junky. I really want to stress the good aspects of this distillery, namely the people. You get a great idea of the steps involved in making liquor presented in an interesting and entertaining tour. (Please note; our visit to the winery was actually about 10 months ago, I just noticed on yelp that I hadn't finished/posted the review! read more

Great experience! My favorite was the Marion whiskey, its strong but very good taste. The staff and owner are very friendly. Go visit them. read more

This place was awesome! Owner, staff and neighbours were amazing people! Cocktails are top notch! Follow the GPS, it is off the beaten path but trust the roads. We had the Blueberry and Grapefruit Vodka both were delicious . Definitely a must place to visit! read more

Fun place to experience!! A must go to if you are seeking the unique , you will not be disappointed.

Wonderful people and tremendous spirits. To say it is warm and friendly is a huge understatement. Well worth the drive.

We have only been here twice and this place gets better and better. The individuals that own this distillery are the most kind amazing people. Their spirits are top notch and their customer service and kindness are incredible. read more

Fish Hawk Spirits - This photo does no justice to the amount of fun and human connection we had at FishHawk - Distilleries Near Me - Ocala, Florida

We had a great time! Drinks were delicious!! It was very relaxing sitting around talking with the owner and his son.

Fishhawk Distillery was an unexpected and terrific find. This local Business is nestled away in a beautiful part of Marion County with lots of trees to make you feel relaxed. Me and my friends were greeted by the owners who welcomed us with a drink of choice with one of there many products made on site. They took time to make introductions at the outdoor tiki bar. It is such a relaxing experience and very tranquil to say the least. Our tour brought us through each step of the distillary process with great explanation of each station right up to the bottling. I have been on several tours around the country and was pleasantly surprised by the personal attention we received and would certainly recommend Fishhawk and I'm sure I'll be back. Thank you!! read more

I just have to say, I've had one of the best times hanging out with such a fantastic group of people and an amazing host and mixologist! This deceiving location makes you not want to leave and I've already arranged to come back asap. Extremely educational, fantastically fun, and exceptionally delicious; this place has it all. Thanks for sharing your wonderful piece of paradise! read more

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Great time. Yes, the drive is out on dirt roads where one might think there is no way there is a distillery out here but worth the drive. Exceptional host Matthew, shares knowledge and stories. Skilled mixologist Michael - way more than a bartender! His Smokey old fashioned is great! So relaxing and just plain fun. If your wanting fancy and show pass on by. If you want real people, real conversation and exceptional drinks, this is the place. read more

Don't waste your money Highly disappointing if you can even find the place. Bring your gun. Never to return read more

What a cool place. Hidden in the back roads and seemingly in the middle of no where. Matthew, the owner and master distiller, made us right at home right away. Personally came to greet me and my guests. 6 of us. Before we started the tour we shot some watermelons with his shot gun. He was very informative and told us of all the local ingredients he uses and businesses he supports for his products. He took us through his process and makes whiskey, vodka, with some great flavoring, and rums that we sampled. His signature whiskey, Conquistador, is amazingly smooth. Bought a bottle to bring back home. Easily as good if not better than some 18 year old single malts. When we got to his very cool outdoor bar for samples, ( bottles all lined up ) he told some stories while his twin boys poured our drinks. Very informal and comfortable. No real limit on the sampling either. He offered drink that weren't even available for sale. Go and enjoy the hospitality!!! read more

December 2020 - This is a fun and friendly place to learn about distillation and have a few drinks at the outdoor Tiki Bar. It's a little off the beaten path down a dirt road but it's worth it. Try it, you're like it. read more

We had a great time and the owner and his wife are so much fun the bar is great the service was fantastic I took my husband daughter and son in-law and we laughed and sampled and we hated to leave it was the best group on I used every body go read more

My wife and I had been trying to get here for weeks and finally were able to make it. We certainly were NOT disappointed. We received a great education on the distilling process and then had great drinks and conversations at the tiki bar. Thank you for a great lesson and great conversation. Highly recommend for locals and non-locals to visit Fish Hawk Spirits. We're looking forward to our next visit. read more