Fireball
The cinnamon whisky liqueur that tastes like hot cinnamon candies. Everything about the alcohol content, taste, how to drink it as a shot or mixed, and the right glass to serve it in.
Tastes like heaven, burns like hell
Fireball Cinnamon Whisky is a liqueur made with Canadian whisky, cinnamon and sweetener, with 33% alcohol. It was created in Canada in the 1980s and for a long time was called Dr. McGillicuddy's Fireball Whisky; since 2007, it has simply been called Fireball and has belonged to the American Sazerac Company. It then became one of the best-selling shots in the US, and its popularity has spread to the Netherlands.
The taste is exactly what the slogan promises: first, sweet, hot cinnamon like a cinnamon candy, then a warm glow from the whisky. Officially, Fireball is not a whisky but a liqueur, because the whisky is blended with cinnamon and sweetener to bring it to 33%. Drink it ice-cold as a shot, or mixed with cola, ginger ale or apple cider.
In brief
Fireball and other cinnamon shots
Fireball comes in one flavor, in a large and a small bottle. These are the cinnamon shots you’ll usually compare it with.
Fireball Cinnamon Whisky
The red bottle with the fire-breathing dragon. Sweet, hot and full of cinnamon, with a warm whisky base.
Fireball 5 cl
The mini bottle: just right for one or two shots, or for trying before you buy a large bottle.
Goldstrike
The Dutch cinnamon shot from Bols, with real gold flakes. Stronger and drier than Fireball, without whisky.
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Fire
Cinnamon liqueur made with Jack Daniel's Old No. 7. A little more whisky, a little less candy than Fireball.
Sweet and fiery? Fireball. Strong and golden? Goldstrike. More whisky? Tennessee Fire.
Sweet, fiery, and full of cinnamon
Cinnamon candy
Intense, sweet cinnamon, like a bag of spicy cinnamon candies. You can barely smell the whisky.
Sweet and fiery
First sweet and thick, then the cinnamon heat keeps tingling on your tongue. Beneath it, a hint of whisky vanilla.
Warm and lingering
A long, warm glow of cinnamon and alcohol. Ice-cold, the heat is milder and the sweetness more rounded.
Fireball's flavor profile when served ice-cold as a shot. Mixed with cola or cider, it becomes smoother and sweeter.
Three ways to drink Fireball
Fireball is best served ice-cold. Put the bottle in the freezer: thanks to the sweetener and its 33% ABV, it won't freeze, but will become thick and smooth.
Ice-cold as a shot
2 to 4 cl straight from the freezer in a shot glass, in one go. The classic way, and the reason Fireball became so popular.
Glass: shot glass →Fireball and cola or ginger ale
50 ml of Fireball with 150 ml of cola or ginger ale in a highball glass filled with ice. Cola makes it sweet and spicy, while ginger ale makes it refreshing and zesty.
Glass: highball glass →Fireball with apple cider
50 ml of Fireball in a glass of hot apple cider or apple juice, with a cinnamon stick. Tastes like apple pie; also delicious chilled with cider and ice.
Apple pie shot →Shots and Fireball mixes
All shots
From Fireball to B52 and Kamikaze: all the shot recipes, with the right glass for each.
Apple pie shot
Apple juice, cinnamon, and a splash of Fireball. Tastes just like apple pie.
Fireball bomb
A shot of Fireball in a glass of energy drink or cider instead of Jägermeister. Sweet, fiery, and quick.
Hot Toddy
Whisky, honey, lemon, and hot water. With Fireball, you don't need to add cinnamon.The right glass for Fireball
Sturdy shot glasses that can take a beating, a highball glass for Fireball and cola, and a tea glass for the hot version. These are the glasses we recommend.
Everything else you wanted to know about Fireball
Didn't find your question? Check out our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
To the cocktail recipes →What percentage of alcohol is in Fireball?
Is Fireball real whisky?
What does Fireball taste like?
What's the difference between Fireball and Goldstrike?
What can you mix Fireball with?
Should Fireball go in the freezer?
Buy Fireball
Want the bottle delivered straight to your door? Order Fireball online from Gall & Gall.
Prices as of November 3, 2026, as reported by Gall & Gall. You can see the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy something through these links; you pay nothing extra. No 18, no alcohol.
