Instead it’s more along the lines of a flavored distilled liquor. This means that in both America and Canada, Fireball is not legally a whisky. (Some specialty scotches are as high as 92% ABV!) America and Canada both have a minimum bottling requirement of 80 proof or 40% ABV.įireball is bottled at 66 proof or 33% ABV. Most whiskeys are bottled at around 40-50% ABV and up to 80% ABV. To really identify Fireball, we need to understand one of the key rules about whisky (or whiskey) production. So in general their whisky is soft and approachable with a sudden spicy kick.įireball is too Low Proof to Technically be Whisky Canadian whisky is usually made with a corn and rye mash bill. However, Fireball’s base alcohol is from Canada where they’ve dropped the “e.” Apparently this gives Fireball the right to market itself with the UK spelling of whisky and confuse everyone into thinking it’s good. The Sazerac company is based in Louisiana which means, by rights, they should be using “whiskey” with an “e.” That’s a very good question and if I didn’t have Sazerac’s information from their website, I’m not sure I could answer it on taste alone. Usually being consumed by crowds of college kids shouting “shots!” and tripping over bar stools. You can find it in any liquor store and any bar around. It’s now one of the most popular selling brands in the United States. McGillicuddy’s Fireball Whisky.”īut thanks to Sazerac’s huge marketing campaign in the 2000s, Fireball has soared in popularity.

Then liquor conglomerate Sazerac bought it in the 1980s and until 2012 it was a relatively unknown Canadian liquor called “Dr.

(Remember when schnapps was all the rage?) The truth is, Fireball was part of Seagram’s flavored schnapps line. Personally, I think it’s more likely someone was eating Hot Tamales, sipping a bottle of Everclear and suddenly thought “This is how I make my millions.” (But if that’s your thing, carry on! Plenty of the world operates without taste!)įireball’s origin story involves a Canadian bartender who figured he’d warm up faster if he added cinnamon to his drink. If you’re out drinking Fireball on the rocks at the local bar, you probably need to mature about 15 years and regrow some taste buds. I maintain that the only reason a mature adult should ever buy Fireball is to put it in a Christmas Cocktail.

Fire ball licor