Thirsty Thursday Eve - Fireball Cinnamon Whisky
Fireball is weird. Not the whisky itself, but rather the culture around it.
The legend of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky (or “Dr. McGillicuddy’s Fireball Whisky” as it was originally known) begins in Canada. It seems to have been a mostly local beverage until closer to 2007 when it was rebranded as the Fireball that we know today. The spike in sales and expansion from small town secret to global hit appears to have happened somewhere between 2011 and 2013. It’s amazing what good marketing can accomplish.
My first exposure to Fireball was probably around 2010 or 2011 in the early days of its remarkable growth. A friend and classmate absolutely loved Fireball, second only to Southern Comfort. (Or maybe Fireball and then SoCo? I actually don’t know which she preferred between the two.) As I have discussed before, I bought a bottle of Southern Comfort on her recommendation and absolutely hated it. Hence, I decided that anything Megan liked, I would probably hate. I wrote off Fireball as something vile without ever even having tried it, and despite the fact that I do love cinnamon as well as Red Hots and/or Hot Tamales. (I’ve had one or the other, but it has been quite a while since I last partook, and I can’t say with certainty which it was.)
Because of my bad experience with Southern Comfort, it was many a year before I tried Fireball. Coincidentally, I believe that my first time trying Fireball was at the wedding of aforementioned friend in August of 2014. The bar was open more or less, and I figured it couldn’t hurt to try it in a no risk environment. By the first sip, I was stricken with disappointment that I had never taken the time to try Fireball before. It was delicious. Sweet and spicy, with a syrupy consistency. Not something I would fill a highball glass with, but certainly something I would love to have on hand for those times when some cinnamon alcohol might liven up an otherwise boring drink.
So I personally enjoy Fireball. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that others en masse share the same opinion. To numerous drinkers, Fireball is cheap, fake, and just plain nasty. An article from Delish goes so far as to claim that Fireball “made for newbie drinkers and Solo cup college parties and that's as far as it should have made it in the booze scene” (Bellomo, 2018). They cite the fact that Fireball and some brands of antifreeze share a common ingredient, suggesting that the whisky contains antifreeze. Snopes will clarify that some countries spent time analyzing the contents of Fireball to verify that they were all safe enough for human consumption to be approved by government bodies (Mikkelson, 2014). Those are two totally different scenarios, but people love spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt.
Even beyond the antifreeze scare, many people seem to have an unwarranted superiority complex against Fireball. They suggest that, like tequila, Fireball is the source of their own bad decisions. Sorry, but you made that call on your own. Sure, you were drunk when it crossed your mind, but don’t blame the Fireball. The shot or two of cinnamon whisky should not be a scapegoat for the repercussions of your bad ideas.
At the end of the day, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky isn’t some elegant and prestigious distilled spirit, but it isn’t bad to drink. People like what they like, and if you enjoy the sweet and spicy flavor of cinnamon candy, you’ll probably also favor the occasional serving of Fireball. Don’t worry about what the haters say. Drink whatever you want to drink, and own it. That 66 proof is still enough kick to light you up after enough drinks. And yes, it is perfectly safe to ingest.
Resources:
Bellomo, R. O. (2018, June 19). 8 Reasons You Should Never Drink Fireball. Retrieved October 5, 2018, from https://www.delish.com/food/a45675/9-reasons-you-should-never-drink-fireball/
CBS News. (2014, October 30). Whiskey pulled over antifreeze ingredient, but not in U.S. Retrieved October 5, 2018, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fireball-whisky-ingredient-found-in-antifreeze-doesnt-worry-american-officials/
Fox News. (2016, November 27). 10 things you never knew about Fireball Whisky. Retrieved October 5, 2018, from https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/10-things-you-never-knew-about-fireball-whisky
Hennett, J. (2018, July 25). Thirsty Thursday Eve - The Legendary Bottle of Southern Comfort. Retrieved October 5, 2018, from http://jakehennett.blogspot.com/2018/07/thirsty-thursday-eve-legendary-bottle.html
The legend of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky (or “Dr. McGillicuddy’s Fireball Whisky” as it was originally known) begins in Canada. It seems to have been a mostly local beverage until closer to 2007 when it was rebranded as the Fireball that we know today. The spike in sales and expansion from small town secret to global hit appears to have happened somewhere between 2011 and 2013. It’s amazing what good marketing can accomplish.
My first exposure to Fireball was probably around 2010 or 2011 in the early days of its remarkable growth. A friend and classmate absolutely loved Fireball, second only to Southern Comfort. (Or maybe Fireball and then SoCo? I actually don’t know which she preferred between the two.) As I have discussed before, I bought a bottle of Southern Comfort on her recommendation and absolutely hated it. Hence, I decided that anything Megan liked, I would probably hate. I wrote off Fireball as something vile without ever even having tried it, and despite the fact that I do love cinnamon as well as Red Hots and/or Hot Tamales. (I’ve had one or the other, but it has been quite a while since I last partook, and I can’t say with certainty which it was.)
Because of my bad experience with Southern Comfort, it was many a year before I tried Fireball. Coincidentally, I believe that my first time trying Fireball was at the wedding of aforementioned friend in August of 2014. The bar was open more or less, and I figured it couldn’t hurt to try it in a no risk environment. By the first sip, I was stricken with disappointment that I had never taken the time to try Fireball before. It was delicious. Sweet and spicy, with a syrupy consistency. Not something I would fill a highball glass with, but certainly something I would love to have on hand for those times when some cinnamon alcohol might liven up an otherwise boring drink.
So I personally enjoy Fireball. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that others en masse share the same opinion. To numerous drinkers, Fireball is cheap, fake, and just plain nasty. An article from Delish goes so far as to claim that Fireball “made for newbie drinkers and Solo cup college parties and that's as far as it should have made it in the booze scene” (Bellomo, 2018). They cite the fact that Fireball and some brands of antifreeze share a common ingredient, suggesting that the whisky contains antifreeze. Snopes will clarify that some countries spent time analyzing the contents of Fireball to verify that they were all safe enough for human consumption to be approved by government bodies (Mikkelson, 2014). Those are two totally different scenarios, but people love spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt.
Even beyond the antifreeze scare, many people seem to have an unwarranted superiority complex against Fireball. They suggest that, like tequila, Fireball is the source of their own bad decisions. Sorry, but you made that call on your own. Sure, you were drunk when it crossed your mind, but don’t blame the Fireball. The shot or two of cinnamon whisky should not be a scapegoat for the repercussions of your bad ideas.
At the end of the day, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky isn’t some elegant and prestigious distilled spirit, but it isn’t bad to drink. People like what they like, and if you enjoy the sweet and spicy flavor of cinnamon candy, you’ll probably also favor the occasional serving of Fireball. Don’t worry about what the haters say. Drink whatever you want to drink, and own it. That 66 proof is still enough kick to light you up after enough drinks. And yes, it is perfectly safe to ingest.
Resources:
Bellomo, R. O. (2018, June 19). 8 Reasons You Should Never Drink Fireball. Retrieved October 5, 2018, from https://www.delish.com/food/a45675/9-reasons-you-should-never-drink-fireball/
CBS News. (2014, October 30). Whiskey pulled over antifreeze ingredient, but not in U.S. Retrieved October 5, 2018, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fireball-whisky-ingredient-found-in-antifreeze-doesnt-worry-american-officials/
Fox News. (2016, November 27). 10 things you never knew about Fireball Whisky. Retrieved October 5, 2018, from https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/10-things-you-never-knew-about-fireball-whisky
Hennett, J. (2018, July 25). Thirsty Thursday Eve - The Legendary Bottle of Southern Comfort. Retrieved October 5, 2018, from http://jakehennett.blogspot.com/2018/07/thirsty-thursday-eve-legendary-bottle.html
Kaufman, A. C. (2014, November 03). Fireball Whisky Recalled In 3 Countries Over Antifreeze Ingredient. Retrieved October 5, 2018, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/29/fireball-whiskey-recall_n_6067486.html
Leonard, D. (2014, April 24). Fireball Whisky: Selling a Brand, Shot by Shot. Retrieved October 5, 2018, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-04-24/fireball-whisky-gains-on-jagermeister-via-social-media-bar-sales
Mikkelson, D. (2014, October 28). FALSE: Fireball Whiskey Recall. Retrieved October 5, 2018, from https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/schnapp-judgment/
The Alternative Daily. (2016, March 29). Breaking News: Fireball Whiskey Under Fire for Antifreeze Chemical and 10 more Drinks to Stay Away From. Retrieved October 5, 2018, from https://www.thealternativedaily.com/breaking-news-fireball-whiskey-fire-antifreeze-chemical-10-drinks-stay-away/
Leonard, D. (2014, April 24). Fireball Whisky: Selling a Brand, Shot by Shot. Retrieved October 5, 2018, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-04-24/fireball-whisky-gains-on-jagermeister-via-social-media-bar-sales
Mikkelson, D. (2014, October 28). FALSE: Fireball Whiskey Recall. Retrieved October 5, 2018, from https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/schnapp-judgment/
The Alternative Daily. (2016, March 29). Breaking News: Fireball Whiskey Under Fire for Antifreeze Chemical and 10 more Drinks to Stay Away From. Retrieved October 5, 2018, from https://www.thealternativedaily.com/breaking-news-fireball-whiskey-fire-antifreeze-chemical-10-drinks-stay-away/
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