Fireball Shot

Cinnamon whisky served ice cold — Fireball grew from $1.9M in US sales in 2011 to over $130M in 2013, cold temperature moderating the cinnamaldehyde burn.

Fireball Cinnamon Whisky is one of the most commercially dramatic success stories in recent American spirits history — a product that grew from regional bar novelty to the best-selling American bar shot within two years. Fireball's origin traces to Canada in the 1980s, where it was initially produced and sold as Dr. McGillicuddy's Fireball Whisky, a cinnamon-flavored Canadian whisky-based liqueur. The Sazerac Company of New Orleans, one of the oldest American spirits producers tracing its history to the 1850s, acquired the formula and relaunched it as Fireball Cinnamon Whisky with an aggressive bar promotional strategy similar to the tactics Sidney Frank Importing Company had used to transform Jägermeister in the 1990s. From approximately $1.9 million in US sales in 2011 to over $130 million by 2013 — over 6,000 percent growth — Fireball's rise was driven by social media shares, college campus promotion, and the simple accessibility of its sweet-and-spicy flavor profile for consumers who did not typically enjoy whiskey. The shot is served most effectively chilled: the cold temperature moderates the cinnamaldehyde's burning quality while preserving the sweet spice character.