Fish Hawk Spirits to leave Marion County following permit denial

File photo: Joe Faino, right, serves a black rum cocktail as Matthew Bagdanovich, left, looks on in the Fish Hawk Spirits section during the Bourbon In The Barn event at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Fla. on Friday, March 26, 2021. Bourbon In The Barn was a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of Marion County and included silent and live auctions, bourbon tastings and equine entertainment. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

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Posted February 18, 2026 |

By Jennifer Hunt Murty

Fish Hawk Spirits, a farm-to-bottle distillery that has operated in Marion County since 2012, announced plans to move its operations out of the county following a denial of its Special Use Permit by the Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 17.

The decision came after a six-month continuance granted in August 2025 expired without the distillery bringing its facility into compliance with county codes. County staff recommended denial of the permit extension, citing a history of unpermitted construction, infrastructure deficiencies, and the operation of a commercial business within a residential and agricultural zone.

The cost of compliance

At the center of the dispute were the requirements set forth by the Development Review Committee (DRC) to bring the site at 16350 SW 20th Lane up to code. To remain at the location, the distillery was required to obtain site plan approval, secure building permits for structures that were previously built without them, and upgrade infrastructure to handle commercial traffic.

According to distillery representatives, the requirements were financially impossible. David Molyneaux, speaking on behalf of Fish Hawk Spirits, told commissioners that the infrastructure demands included paving the unpaved road leading to the property.

“We were told we got to pave from South [25th] avenue. It’s almost a mile. So, it’s a million dollars a mile to pave a road. These are just unreasonable requirements. We can’t do it,” Molyneaux said.

Beyond the road, the distillery faced significant hurdles regarding its existing structures. Molyneaux noted that bringing the facility into compliance would require drastic measures. “The building that we have will not be compliant. Even if we brought in engineers, we would have to tear it down and then rebuild the building,” he said.

Molyneaux cited requirements to provide five handicap parking spots in addition to regular parking spots weren’t practical for their farm.

A heavy investment

Joe Faino, CEO of Fish Hawk Spirits, expressed the financial toll the ruling takes on the business, which produces 27 different brands of spirits.

“We’ve invested over $4.5 million into this business now… and the brand itself,” Faino stated during the hearing.

He explained that despite being given six months to find a solution, the capital required was out of reach. “There is nothing that we can do to bring it up to code right now with the amount of money that’s going to require,” he said.

Molyneaux added that they had searched for suitable alternative sites within the county but were unsuccessful.

“We found nothing that’s suitable in Marion County, so we are going to have to move the business out of Marion County,” he said, noting they are currently negotiating with distilleries outside the area to transfer their operations.

Commissioners remained firm

While acknowledging the loss of a local business, commissioners emphasized that the distillery had operated out of compliance for years in a residential neighborhood. The site is located in the Westwood Acres North subdivision, surrounded by residential lots.

“We don’t want you to leave. We don’t want you to go, but you had to come in compliance at some level,” said Commissioner Carl Zalak. “We try to give you time and time and time and time, and unfortunately, we’ve seen no progress.”

Commissioner Kathy Bryant was direct in her assessment, pushing back against the suggestion that the county’s requirements were to blame for the distillery’s departure.

“You’re operating a commercial business in a residential area. That’s the problem,” Bryant said.

She expressed frustration with the narrative presented by the distillery.

“I’m not really appreciative of the fact that you made this sound like a Marion County problem, because it’s not a Marion County problem. It’s a you problem. You set up a business in a residential area. You operate at this business where you shouldn’t have been operating it. And we told you time and time again, look for alternative locations.”

The commission voted unanimously to deny the permit. The board agreed to give Fish Hawk Spirits 90 days to vacate the premises and shut down operations at the site before code enforcement action would commence.

“We are the last distillery left in Marion County,” Molyneaux said in his closing remarks. “And we don’t have any choice but to try to find some other location… to continue to have our 27 brands propagate throughout the United States.”