Fireball Eggnog

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/10/23
Tested by
Laurel Randolph
Photo of Laurel Randolph
Tested by Laurel Randolph
A fervid lover of the culinary arts and all things Instant Pot, Laurel has been writing about food for 10 years. One of her cookbooks was the #2 cookbook of 2017.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

Fireball eggnog may become one of your new favorite Christmas drinks. The popular cinnamon whiskey is a fantastic base for this classic holiday cocktail. It gives eggnog a touch of warm spice, subtle sweetness, and an inviting aroma that's sure to put everyone in a festive mood.

Traditional eggnog can be nonalcoholic, though it's often spiked with brandy, rum, or whiskey, and a cinnamon stick is a common garnish. Switching the liquor to Fireball Whisky is a natural choice because it's a cinnamon-infused whiskey liqueur. It mixes well with various flavors, including coffee and vanilla, but in this recipe, it teams up with the almond flavor of amaretto. The two liqueurs are simply shaken with prepared eggnog, and you can use either store-bought or homemade eggnog. Since each ingredient contains some amount of sugar, there's no need to add a sweetener.

Fireball Eggnog cocktail in three glasses garnished with cinnamon

The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

While optional, the cinnamon-sugar rim makes this Fireball eggnog even more delicious. Using raw sugar and more ground cinnamon than you might for other cocktails accents the eggnog perfectly. With each sip, you'll enjoy the balance of rich eggnog, a nice (but not overpowering) alcohol kick, and a sweet, warming blend of nutty spice.

The recipe makes one cocktail; scale it up to make two or three drinks at once if your cocktail shaker can handle the volume. Since eggnog is not served over ice, it's best to shake this cocktail extra hard to soften and dilute the thick drink and marry the flavors. Make it right before serving at any of your holiday parties, even if it's just a few friends.

"If you love cinnamon, this drink is for you. It's sweet and heavy on the spice, a nice way to end a wintry meal. If you'd like less sweetness, decrease the amaretto a bit; for less spice, decrease the Fireball or swap half for regular whiskey." —Laurel Randolph

Fireball eggnog cocktail garnished with cinnamon
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup raw sugar, for optional rim

  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, for optional rim

  • 3 ounces store-bought, prepared eggnog

  • 2 ounces cinnamon-flavored whiskey liqueur

  • 3/4 ounce amaretto liqueur, plus more for optional rim

  • Cinnamon stick, for garnish

  • Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for homemade fireball eggnog gathered

    The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

  2. If desired, rim an old-fashioned glass with cinnamon sugar: In a small dish mix the raw sugar and ground cinnamon to a uniform color and pour a small amount of amaretto into another small dish. Dip the glass rim into the amaretto then roll it into the cinnamon sugar.

    Rimming glass with cinnamon and bown sugar for fireball eggnog cocktail

    The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

  3. In a cocktail shaker, pour the eggnog, cinnamon whiskey liqueur, and amaretto. Fill with ice.

    Mixing fireball eggnog in a cocktail shaker

    The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

  4. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds.

    Shaken fireball eggnog cocktail in a glass

    The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

  5. Strain into the prepared glass.

    Fireball eggnog cocktail strained into a glass rimmed with sugar and cinnamon

    The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

  6. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and dusting of freshly grated nutmeg.

    Fireball eggnog cocktail with grater and nutmeg alongside

    The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

Tips

  • When buying eggnog, you'll find some enjoyable and others that are not. Try to avoid the cheapest eggnog and be sure to read the ingredients so you know what's inside the carton. You'll find organic, low-fat, even soy and almond milk eggnog.
  • The cinnamon-sugar rim makes enough to rim at least four old-fashioned glasses. If you have any left over, store it in an airtight container for the next time you make this drink.

Recipe Variations

  • If you have a favorite cinnamon whiskey other than Fireball, it will work great in this recipe. Most of the commercial brands are also sweetened, so there's no need to adjust the recipe. These are often lower than 40 percent ABV (80 proof), and you can look for "liqueur" on the label.
  • You can also use a homemade cinnamon-infused whiskey. It won't be sweetened and works great with bourbon and smooth blended whiskies: Place two whole cinnamon sticks in a large jar filled with the whiskey of your choice and let it infuse for about three days. When the flavor is to your liking, remove the cinnamon.
  • When using an unsweetened cinnamon whiskey, add about 1/4 to 1/2 ounce of simple syrup or maple syrup to the Fireball eggnog recipe.

How Strong Is Fireball Eggnog?

Eggnog is notorious for getting holiday revelers drunk, but this Fireball eggnog isn't terribly strong. The standard bottle of Fireball Whisky is just 33 percent ABV (66 proof), which is lighter than the average whiskey, and amaretto is a similar strength. If you keep the eggnog's proportions, the drink will shake up to around 12 percent ABV (24 proof), which is similar to a glass of wine. Using Fireball 42 Proof will increase the alcohol content, and you can get tipsy by drinking too much spiked eggnog of any kind.

Does Eggnog Curdle With Alcohol?

Though rare, there is the potential that eggnog will curdle when it's mixed with alcohol. That's typically due to too much acid interacting with the dairy. This can come from high-proof liquor or milk that's either lower in fat or going sour. For the best eggnog, use fresh, preferably whole, milk. Keep prepared eggnog refrigerated at all times and discard it if it's past the expiration date or has an off odor or appearance. Also, adding the liquor to the eggnog—following the chemistry rule to "add acid to water"—will help prevent curdled eggnog.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
297 Calories
4g Fat
17g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 297
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 3g 13%
Cholesterol 56mg 19%
Sodium 54mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 16g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 1mg 7%
Calcium 138mg 11%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 173mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)