Ocala Food Walks
Beers, Wines, & Spirits - All Locally Made in Marion County
A charming locale in Central Florida, Ocala/Marion County is welcoming and eclectic… And there’s something unique brewing in this off the beaten path location.
So what’s on tap in the area? We have assembled some local breweries, distilleries, and wine stops sure to deliver homemade local flavor. All these businesses make their own product!
Craft Beer
Infinite Ale Works
Let’s start with a couple breweries located right in the historic downtown Ocala area. Infinite Ale Works is the oldest brewery in the area, and with dozens of craft beers on tap, and with the owner’s love of craft Belgian beers, it has become a favorite gathering for travelers and locals alike. Currently located in a repurposed auto service garage, Infinite is soon expanding to move into a repurposed fire house just a few blocks north!
Big Hammock Brewery and Bites
Big Hammock Brewery and Bites, also located in Downtown Ocala, not only offers 12 taps that feature a mix of BHB's own brews and rotating guest craft beers, but also a unique Asian menu with a twist, offering ramen bowls, Boa Buns, hot pretzels and more. While BHB is the newest brewery in town, its historic location is not. The brewery recently won a Beatification Award from the Historic Ocala Preservation Society for the revitalization of their building.
Hiatus Brewing Company
Conveniently located right on HWY 200, Hiatus Brewing Company offers a large and fun atmosphere along with their own hand crafted brews to enjoy. Their homegrown selections cover everything from a stout with dark chocolate and peanut flavor to a pineapple blonde, which you can pair with a pretzel and beer cheese, wings, street nachos or other delicious menu items. While you sip on your tap of choice, pick from an assortments of table top board games to play. To top it off, if you find a beer you love and want it for later, you can take a growler home with you!
Wine
Katya Vineyards
Another Downtown Ocala favorite spot for the wine aficionados is Katya Vineyards, which previously won the overall gold medal for Best Florida Winery of the Year at the New York International Wine Competition. What started out as a family-owned winery, Katya Vineyards expanded to a fine dining restaurant with a friendly atmosphere offering an incredible selection of top wines, including their own. The family uses sustainable techniques to create white and red blends that are available to buy at the restaurant by the glass or bottle!
Dragon Flower Winery
Tucked away in the southern part of the county is the only winery in the destination that you can visit and enjoy the wine on property! Dragon Flower Winery is located in Summerfield, near Lake Weir and open Fridays through Sundays. The family who owns and runs the winery are born and raised Floridians who are always ready to talk handcrafted wine with guests. Every drop of wine sold is made personally by the family and for guests to enjoy as sample flights, by the glass, or by the bottle! Locally made craft beer and cheese and charcuterie boards are also available! While the winery is most celebrated for its Hibiscus wine, also known as Dragon Flower, they also make Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Carlos, Muscat, Petite Sirah, Bourbon Barrel aged Red Blend and Rose.
Spirits
Fish Hawk Spirits
In the southwestern part of Marion County, bordering Ocala and Dunnellon, sits Fish Hawk Spirits. This award-winning distillery is what you call farm-to-bottle, sourcing corn, herbs and botanicals from the family’s own farmland to create their unique spirits. These creations total 27 original whiskey, rums, vodkas, absinths and brandy. While the majority of Fish Hawk’s business is distilling for wholesale, they offer select behind-the-scenes tours of their facility. The two-hour tours show the distilling process and offers liquor samplings straight or in a cocktail. Tours are available Thursday-Sunday at 3 pm and can be booked HERE.
James Two Brothers Distillers
Located right next to the Ocala International Airport and just minutes away from the World Equestrian Center is James Two Brothers Distillers. This micro-distillery that focuses on whiskey and rums offers tours the second Saturday of each month for guests to see the distilling process and taste their handcrafted spirits. Founded by brothers in 2012, the craft distillery specializes in single-batch production of beverage grade-spirits. To schedule a tour, call 352-291-0585.
Delicious flavors and fun times, are not limited to these great places. You will also find two speakeasies in Downtown Ocala, as well as a tiki bar and, coming soon, a pirate bar.
If kicking back and enjoying a drink and meal on the water is more your style, there are two restaurants on Lake Weir with their own beach or two sitting right on the Withlacoochee and Rainbow Rivers in Dunnellon. Check out all our Food and Drink option HERE.
For some more ideas for dining, check out our blog How to Eat and Drink Well in Ocala/Marion County.