Fireball Maker Sued Over Mini Bottles That Don't Contain Whiskey

The makers of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Sazerac Company, Inc., are being sued for fraud and misrepresentation after it was discovered that there is in fact no whiskey contained in the brand's mini bottles of the beverage.

At issue is that customers say they are being misled by the company's smaller bottles of so-called whiskey, named Fireball Cinnamon, which is commonly believed to contain the liquor.

However, according to the class action lawsuit, which was filed earlier this month in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, whiskey is not an ingredient in these mini bottles, which are sold for 99 cents at 170,000 stores.

The company stipulates the difference in ingredients in its products on its website. As it notes, "any package with Fireball 'Cinnamon Whisky' on the front label is our whisky-based product," while "any product with Fireball 'Cinnamon' on the front label, without 'Whisky', is either our malt-based or wine-based product."

It further notes that "Fireball Cinnamon products are genuine malt-based or wine-based alcoholic beverages produced by the makers of Fireball Whisky. They have been developed using a proprietary recipe, capturing the essence of the Fireball Whisky taste experience consumers love."

However, according to the complaint, the packaging suggests that the mini bottles contain whiskey. Closer inspection of the label reveals that the description of the product is "malt beverage with natural whisky & other flavors and caramel color," insinuating whiskey is an ingredient used in the drink, when it actually uses whiskey flavor.

"What the label means to say is that the product contains 'natural whisky flavors & other flavors,' but by not including the word 'flavors' after 'natural whisky,' purchasers who look closely will expect the distilled spirit of whisky was added as a separate ingredient," the complaint says.

Further, the lawsuit states that, considering the lack of whiskey contained in the product, the 99 cents retail price for a 1.7 fluid ounce bottle is overpriced.

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