Fireball: Proof, Whisky vs Cinnamon, and Buying Guide

Updated May 2026.

Fireball Cinnamon Whisky — the liquor-store bottle — is 33% ABV / 66 proof, a Canadian-whisky-based cinnamon liqueur (Sazerac). A 1.5-ounce pour is 0.83 of an NIAAA standard drink, not one full drink. The grocery/gas-station mini that says Fireball Cinnamon (no “Whisky”) is a 16.5% malt beverage — half the ethanol, different TTB class. Ohio also has a 42-proof grocery SKU in the brand FAQ history. Read the six-letter word on the front.

We will not reprint a 2021 price list. Drink math: shots of Fireball. It is not bourbon and not 80-proof whiskey.

Whisky vs Cinnamon vs the rest

Label Typical US ABV 1.5 oz drinks Where it sells
Fireball Cinnamon Whisky 33% / 66 0.83 Spirits license
Fireball Cinnamon (no “Whisky”) 16.5% malt (or a wine-based ~21% SKU in some channels) 0.41 if 16.5% Beer/wine stores, gas-station minis
Dragon Reserve Same 33% whisky, bourbon-barrel finish 0.83 Still a liqueur

A 750 mL of the 33% whisky is about 14 standard drinks (750 × 0.33 ÷ 17.7). Four whisky shots are about 3.3 drinks. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. Sugar is in the liqueur — not the USDA 0 g whiskey row. sugar in whiskey.

Sources

  • Sazerac / Fireball: 33% Alc/Vol on the whisky legal line (brand FAQ archive + current class).
  • Fireball Cinnamon malt 16.5%: brand FAQ (“without Whisky”) + trade/lawsuit coverage. Wine-based ~21% exists in some states the mini in hand.
  • Prior Fireball drunk page: Ohio 42-proof grocery note.
  • NIAAA standard drink (December 2025).

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