what percent alcohol is fireball whiskey

Oh, Fireball. What an embarrassment to alcohol. The cheap and syrupy cinnamon mixture was made for newbie drinkers and Solo cup college parties and that’s as far as it should have made it in the booze scene. Yet somehow it remains a popular order at bars nationwide. But this is wrong. So completely, sadly, and utterly wrong. Sure it might serve its purpose in a big batch Jell-O shot, but if it’s your favorite booze, then you really need to sort out your priorities. Because there are more than enough reasons to not drink Fireball.

(Okay, but these are pretty cool…)

1. It tastes like Red Hots soaked in water.

Actually make that Big Red gum soaked in pee. Just the thought of sipping this syrupy mess is enough to make you gag and start dry-heaving. And these grandmas trying it for the first time agree with me.

2. Fireball has the worst recipe ideas with even worse names.

Any drink that ends in “balls” or “nuts” is best left behind. Same goes for the eye-roll–inducing fragile masculinity of the”Man-mosa.” And don’t even get me started on adding cinnamon to lemonade. Barf.

3. It’s always ordered by the d-bags at the bar.

You know who I’m talking about: the bros with popped-collar Polos and gingham button-ups, finance guys who always cut you but somehow touch your lower back while doing it, sorority girls and college freshmen (with fake IDs, obviously) looking to get plastered on a Thursday night, juice heads bragging about how much they can lift.

4. Sorry, but it’s “whiskey” not “whisky.”

The makers of Fireball, Sazerac, are based in Louisiana. So there’s no need to use the United Kingdom’s spelling of whiskey. According to the brand, the drink contains Canadian Whisky. Our friends to the north apparently drop the ‘e’, hence the spelling choice, but we’re not sold.

5. It’s weak as hell.

At 66 proof, Fireball has 20 percent less alcohol than a true whiskey, which typically clocks in at somewhere between 86 and 100 proof.

6. It always leads to terrible decisions.

No one orders a single shot of Fireball because it’s cheap and weak and apparently people like to torture themselves. And so, since it’s only ever had in excess, it inspires ridiculously drunk behavior—like peeing in public and starting fights with the bouncer. Hate to break it to you, Fireball, but no good story ever started with “Well, we were drinking Fireball…”

7. It will give you the worst hangover.

Sugar and spice and everything not so nice. The morning after drinking this nasty concoction should be enough to make you quit it for good.

8. It used to contain a chemical used in anti-freeze.

A fact so unsettling to Europeans that sales of the sickly sweet booze were “temporarily halted” in Norway, Sweden, and Finland, which Fireball says was “due to a small recipe-related compliance issue.” The chemical coming under fire is propylene glycol, which supposedly enhances flavor by absorbing water. It’s a slightly less toxic compound than ethylene glycol, which was—until recently—most often used in anti-freeze. According to the FDA, propylene glycol is “generally recognized as safe” when used in food “at levels not to exceed current good manufacturing practice,” but nonetheless, Fireball removed the chemical from its recipe.

This story has been updated with information from Sazerac.

When You Drink Fireball Every Day, This Is What Happens To Your Body

Fireball is a cinnamon whiskey known for its sweet and spicy kick, and the company gives you a glimpse of what you’re getting yourself into with its product by saying, “…imagine what it feels like to stand face-to-face with a fire-breathing dragon who just ate a whiskey barrel full of spicy cinnamon.” Considered by some a little easier on the palate, this spicy alcohol still has its own definite kick. At 33 percent alcohol, this fun beverage seems to pack just the right amount of punch to lighten the mood but isn’t so strong you’ll be headed for home early. But as always, if you consume, you should understand how this recreational beverage can affect your health.

Fireball’s 2014 anti-freeze scare

car anti-freeze
Shutterstock

In 2014, Fireball Whisky made headlines after being recalled for containing an ingredient common in anti-freeze. As people are not cars, this was naturally disturbing. Refinery29 reported that the recall occurred in Europe, specifically Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The recall was for an ingredient called propylene glycol, which is used as both a mild sweetener and also in less toxic versions of anti-freeze. The CDC considers propylene glycol generally safe, and it’s used in many products across the United States. The levels of propylene glycol in the recalled batch, however, did not match the European Union standards.

Fortunately, parent company Sazerac notes that Fireball no longer contains any propylene glycol, nor any anti-freeze components.

Drinking Fireball every day is bad for your health

There’s a reason alcohol vendors caution you to drink responsibly. Extended use or overconsumption of alcohol is bad for your health, and Fireball is no exception to this rule. Healthline lists the cumulative effects of alcohol on your body to include: shrinking brain, blackouts, hallucinations, cancer, lung infections, liver problems, fatigue, stomach distress, diarrhea, infertility, sexual dysfunction, diabetes, and more. While it’s true that enjoying a simple few shots of Fireball won’t cause this level of illness, even mild consumption can still have its effects.

GQ explains the problem with sugary shots:

less alcohol, more sugar. And in this case of cinnamon whiskey, that means more weight gain and less buzz. At 33 percent alcohol, Fireball is actually less potent than a traditional whiskey, but still has loads of the sugar that makes it tastes so good. High sugar alcohol is also associated with increasing hangover symptoms. While there is some debate on whether the sugar itself makes you feel bad, or whether it masks the taste of alcohol to let you drink more, there’s a pretty universal consensus that the next morning is gonna be rough.

Instead, treat your Fireball like a bar of delicious chocolate or a slice of cake. Avoid excess to keep harsh and unpleasant health effects at bay, and savor it once in a while instead.

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