When the party chants "shots, shots, shots, shots," they are probably asking for Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey.
The Sazerac produced spirit "established in the mid-80s" is only behind Jack Daniel's in ranking when it comes to booze sold by the gallon in Ohio during the 2015 fiscal year ended in July.
It had been in 11th place at this point in fiscal year 2014, according to state records. The brand has been sold in Ohio since 2010.
“Moving up nine spots in a (fiscal) year doesn’t happen very often. It is pretty unique,” said Matt Mullins, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Liquor Control.
By the end of 2014, Fireball was the fourth best-seller.
At the end of July, Jagermeister stood in 10th place on the list of spirits sold in Ohio in reverse order behind Black Velvet, Absolut, Kamchatka, Bacardi, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan and Crown Royal.
Sales of Fireball by calendar year in Ohio.
Adam Boyd, the owner of Air City Wine and Beer, a Harrison Twp. state liquor agency that distributes to local bars and restaurants, said Fireball has become a bar standard like Wild Turkey, Jack Daniel's and Jim Beam.
He said it is popular everywhere from strip clubs to VFW halls.
“It kind of came from an unknown to being one of the most consistent liquors I have,” Boyd said.
Fireball’s rise is even more impressive when you look at its ranking for an entire calendar year in the state of Ohio.
Only 4,752 gallons of it were sold in 2011 compared to 28,3340 in 2012.
Boyd — not a Fireball fan himself — said pop-culture helped boost Fireball even though it is lower proof than the similar 100 proof Fire Water Cinnamon Schnapps or Dekuyper’s Hot Damn 100 Proof Cinnamon Schnapps.
Heaven Hill’s Cinerator Hot Cinnamon Flavored Whiskey is 91.1 proof.
Boyd said country bars started expressing more interest in the 66 proof Fireball after the duo country Florida Georgia Line mentioned it in its 2013 release “Round Here. “
“And that Fireball whiskey whispers. Temptation in my ear.”
Fireball ranked 19th that year with 123,2302 gallons sold. It ranked 4th for the calendar year 2014 with 277,171 gallons sold, according to state records.
Amy Preske, Sazerac’s public relations and events manager, said Fireball has been around since the mid ‘80’s in Canada and was “unleashed” to the U.S. in 2001.
2015 fiscal year sales of spirits in Ohio
“Our Fireball nation is unleashing the dragon across the country,” she wrote via email when asked about its popularity nationally.
Andrew Rowe, manager of Blind Bob's Bar in Dayton's Oregon District, said Fireball is definitely the go-to social shot.
“Somebody in that work group is going to shout out ‘let’s do a round of Fireball,’ ” he said, adding that it is also the go-to shot for birthdays and bachelorette parties.
Drinkers with a more sophisticated palate go for stronger, less sugary sweet concoctions, he said.
“It is not real whiskey,” Rowe said of Fireball. “I don’t think it is popular among people in the service industry.”
Flanagan's Pub bartender Rachel Snyder said she sells tons of shots of the sweet and spicy spirit.
“It is definitely one of our most popular behind the bar,” she said. “We sell at lot of cold shots. It is very popular going with an Angry Orchard (Hard Cider). Some people call it (that combo) an apple pie.”
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