Brick City Southern Kitchen & Whiskey Bar
Four Hundred Whiskeys, Twelve Forgettable Wines
Downtown Ocala · Ocala · Southern, Barbecue · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 12, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walk in and you immediately understand what this place is about — 400+ whiskeys climbing the wall, folk art on every surface, blues on the speakers. The wine list feels like it was added as an afterthought, a single laminated page tucked behind the cocktail menu. Nobody came here for the Clos du Bois.
Selection Deep Dive
Twelve to twenty bottles, and it reads like the wine section at a gas station that's trying its best. Canyon Road and Clos du Bois anchor the California side, Oyster Bay covers New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc duty, and a Mas Fi Cava and Riff Pinot Grigio round out the international presence. There's no depth, no discovery, no producer that will make you lean in. J. Lohr Cabernet is the one name here that clears the bar, and even that's a workhorse, not a thoroughbred. Gaps are everywhere — no Rosé worth talking about, no red with any real character, zero interesting Italian beyond a basic Pinot Grigio.
By the Glass
Nine pours by the glass, ranging from $8 to $11, which is hard to complain about on price. The problem is what you're getting: Canyon Road Chardonnay, Rickshaw Pinot Noir, and a Prosecco that exists to fill a bullet point. These are wines you tolerate, not wines you order a second glass of.
J. Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon — $38
It's the one bottle on this list with any backbone. At $38, you're not getting gouged, and it can actually stand up to the beef brisket without getting steamrolled. Relative to everything else here, it's the clear move.
Mas Fi Cava
Nobody at a Southern BBQ joint orders Cava, which is exactly why you should. It's bright, it cuts through smoke and fat like a knife, and it's probably the most food-friendly thing on the entire list. Order it before the ribs arrive.
Canyon Road Chardonnay
This is a $7 grocery store bottle. Even at $8-$11 by the glass, you're overpaying for oak extract and apple juice. Get a whiskey instead — that's what this place actually does.
Mas Fi Cava + Beef Brisket
The bubbles and acidity in the Cava do the work that would take a much bigger red to accomplish — they cut through the fat in the brisket and reset your palate between bites. It's an unconventional call that actually makes sense.
❌ The Bottom Line
Brick City is a great whiskey bar that happens to have a wine list, and those are very different things. If wine is your priority, send your friend here for the brisket and the bourbon and let the wine list go.
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