Does Fireball Really Contain Antifreeze? (2024)

FAQs

Does Fireball Really Contain Antifreeze? ›

Fireball does not contain any antifreeze at all, and the suggestion is ridiculous. Sadly, this is the media's way of crafting attention grabbing headlines, but it simply is not true.

Fireball was recalled due to concerns it contained an ingredient used in antifreeze. This ingredient is propylene glycol, otherwise known as part of the mixture used to de-ice airplanes. In 2014, Fireball was recalled in European countries because propylene glycol levels were deemed too high.

Fireball Cinnamon Whisky is a mixture of Canadian whisky, cinnamon flavoring and sweeteners that is produced by the Sazerac Company. Its foundation is Canadian whisky, and the taste otherwise resembles the candy with a similar name, Ferrara Candy Company's "Atomic Fireball" candy.

The maker of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky has been sued for fraud for selling a beverage that, at a glance, looks like the spicy Fireball spirit famed for its ubiquity at college parties, but which doesn't actually contain much of a key ingredient: whisky.

The difference between the two drinks is that Fireball Cinnamon is actually a malt-based beverage with 16.5% alcohol by volume (ABV), while Fireball Cinnamon Whisky is whisky-based and has an ABV of 33%. “The labels look almost identical,” he wrote. “That is intentional.”

Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, a flavored-liqueur popular with college students, was recalled in Finland, Norway and Sweden because it contains an ingredient found in antifreeze. The liqueur was not recalled in the U.S.

► Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. ► Propylene Glycol can cause nausea and vomiting. ► Exposure can cause headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, and passing out.

It's cheap and weak so no one orders a single shot of Fireball. And since it's only ever consumed in excess, it inspires ridiculously drunk behavior—like peeing in public and starting fights with the bouncer.

Drinkers the world over let out a collective gasp this week when Fireball Cinnamon Whisky was recalled in some European countries for containing what regulators deemed an unsafe level of propylene glycol—a chemical found in antifreeze.

Whereas Fireball is harmless and largely inoffensive, JD Fire goes the extra inch by displaying authentic whiskey character underneath the onslaught of hot candy juice. Jack Daniel's Tennessee Fire is the better cinnamon whiskey.

Is Fireball actually whiskey? ›

It's a 33% ABV (66-proof) liqueur made with a mix of Canadian whiskey, sweeteners and natural cinnamon flavoring. But is it whiskey? Well, no, not really. Technically speaking, once you add sugar to a spirit and lower its ABV it becomes a liqueur rather than a spirit.

Fireball Cinnamon is a malt-based 33 proof product, whereas Fireball Whisky is a whisky-based 66 proof product. Unlike Fireball Whisky, Fireball Cinnamon can be sold in beer, malt beverage and wine stores for our fans who want a wider variety of convenient shopping locations.

This fact was so unsettling to Europeans that sales of Fireball were "temporarily halted" in Norway, Sweden, and Finland in 2014, which Fireball said was "due to a small recipe-related compliance issue." The chemical that came under fire was propylene glycol, which supposedly enhances flavor by absorbing water.

The most common antifreeze is an alcohol known as propylene glycol. It has largely replaced the much more toxic ethylene glycol. Methanol can also be used as an antifreeze, mainly in windshield wiper fluid.

Ethanol is used as an antifreeze because it lowers the freezing point of water. Additionally, ethanol mixes well with water so its ability to lower the freezing point of water can be spread throughout the mixture of ethanol and water.

Ethylene glycol and methanol are alcohols that are commonly found in antifreeze. Both are also found in a variety of other household and industrial products.