Pull out the reading glasses before buying, that Fireball Cinnamon might not have any whiskey in it
Fireball: "tastes like heaven, burns like hell"... unless you're buying the mini bottles.
The tiny bottles of Fireball sold in Tennessee gas stations and grocery stores for $0.99 don't actually contain any whiskey, according to a class-action lawsuit filed earlier this month against Sazerac Company, which owns the brand. Instead they contain whiskey flavors, but labeling makes that unclear, according to the lawsuit.
Fireball sells two types of beverages — Fireball Cinnamon, at 16.5% alcohol by volume, and Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, at 33%. The former being a malt beverage, legal to sell in Tennessee gas stations.
The lawsuit claims the marketing for the malt product is negligent misrepresentation and fraud.
The company began production on Fireball Cinnamon after consumers said they wanted "a wider variety of convenient shopping locations, including stores that can only sell beer, malt beverages and wine products," according to their website.
Fireball produces miniature bottles of both beverages, adding "Malt Beverage With Natural Whisky & Other Flavors and Caramel Color" on the bottom of the Fireball Cinnamon label in small print.
"They will think the product is a malt beverage with added (1) natural whisky and (2) other flavors," the lawsuit says. "When viewed together with the Fireball distilled spirit brand name, the label misleads consumers into believing it is or contains distilled spirits."
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Fireball Cinnamon brand sued over lack of whiskey in some products
