Come for the Bourbon, Skip the Wine List
Downtown / Malvern Avenue Corridor · Hot Springs · Gastropub / Bar Food · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 21, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Crystal Ridge Distillery Kitchen & Bar’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walk into Crystal Ridge and everything signals distillery first, wine as an afterthought. The cocktail menu is front and center — polished, detailed, clearly the labor of love here — and the wine list is six lines at the bottom, like someone remembered they had to include it. That's not necessarily a crime, but it sets the tone immediately.
Six labels. That's the whole program. You get a Riesling, a Pinot Gris, a Pinot Noir, and two house blends named Black Rabbit Red and White Rabbit — no producers listed, no regions, no vintage. The house rabbit blends feel like they were selected from a distributor catalog with minimal deliberation. There's no regional through-line, no attempt at curation, and zero depth for anyone who wants to go even slightly off the beaten path.
Every wine on the list is available by the glass, which sounds generous until you realize the list is only six bottles deep anyway. At $8.75–$9.50 a pour, pricing is reasonable for the market, but when the selection is this thin, low prices only do so much work. Rotation appears nonexistent — this list looks like it hasn't changed since they opened.
Pinot Gris — $8.75
At the low end of the price range and the most food-flexible white on the list, the Pinot Gris is the least risky pour here — decent enough alongside a salad or a sandwich without asking too much of anyone.
Riesling
Most people at a distillery bar won't reach for a Riesling, which means you might just get the best glass on the list by accident. It's the one option that shows even faint signs of intentionality, and at these prices, the downside is limited.
Black Rabbit Red
An unnamed house red blend with no producer, no region, and no story is the wine equivalent of a mystery box — and not the fun kind. Order a cocktail instead; that's clearly where the talent lives.
Pinot Noir + Sandwich or handheld
The Pinot Noir is the only red with enough lightness not to bulldoze straightforward bar food. Pair it with one of the sandwiches and you've got a casual, low-stakes combo that makes the most of a limited list.
The Bottom Line
Crystal Ridge is a genuinely fun distillery bar with solid craft spirits and a chill atmosphere — wine just isn't part of the identity here, and the six-label grocery-store list proves it. Order a cocktail, enjoy the vibe, and leave the wine night for somewhere else.
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Vault is a genuinely charming place to spend a special evening in Hot Springs — the room earns its keep. The wine program, from what we can see, does its job without distinguishing itself: serviceable, probably priced on the steeper side, and built to please rather than provoke. Go for the atmosphere and the food; just don't plan your wine nerd moment around it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Hot Springs · Italian
Little Italy in Hot Springs isn't pretending to be a wine destination, and that's fine — but a seven-bottle list anchored almost entirely by supermarket brands doesn't give wine drinkers much to work with. The pricing is honest and the Selbach is a genuine bright spot, but if wine matters to your evening, temper expectations before you sit down.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Hot Springs · Wine Bar
Splash Wine Bar is doing something genuinely worthwhile for Hot Springs — an almost-entirely-by-the-glass list with fair pricing and a few smart picks that go beyond the obvious. If you're rolling through town and want a real glass of wine without a lecture or a markup, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Central Avenue / South Hot Springs · Hot Springs · Sports Bar Chain
Buffalo Wild Wings Hot Springs is a place to drink beer and watch sports — the wine list exists to technically have one, not to be used. Order a beer, order a cocktail, or bring your own if they allow corkage, but don't let the wine list be the reason you're here.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Avenue / Commercial Strip · Hot Springs · Mexican / Tex-Mex
This is a margarita restaurant with a wine list that exists only so no one has to say there isn't one. Come for the fajitas and the frozen drinks — the wine is strictly last resort.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Highway 7 North / Outskirts · Hot Springs · Southern Country Restaurant
We wouldn't send anyone to Cracker Barrel for wine, and neither should you — the food is the point, the wine is a footnote. If you need a glass with dinner, grab the Gambino sparkling and move on with your life.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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