Class-action lawsuit filed against Louisville-based Fireball Cinnamon maker over labels

A global liquor company based in the Bluegrass is getting sued by an Illinois resident who claims they've misled customers with gas-station mini bottles that don't actually contain whiskey.

The Sazerac Company has its main office in Louisville, owns Buffalo Trace distillery and bourbon and produces Fireball, a well-known brand of cinnamon whiskey. Sazerac has been accused of mislabeling its bottles by Anna Marquez, a resident of Cook County, Illinois. A class-action lawsuit filed against the company asserts that labels on 99-cent bottles sold at gas stations mislead "consumers into believing it is or contains distilled spirits."

Over the last few years, residents in Illinois noticed that the bottles were made more available in supermarkets and gas stations than in previous years, the suit said. "Liquor stores reported a decline in sales of Fireball cinnamon whisky, confirmed by their customers who told them they preferred to purchase it for lower prices elsewhere."

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The suit, filed on Jan. 7, said the bottles in those supermarkets and gas stations weren't "'whisky at all." Instead, the liquor was simply labeled "Fireball Cinnamon" and stated that it contained "natural whisky and other flavors" and caramel color. Customers mistaking the bottles for ones that actually contained the spirit was "'an easy mistake to make, and one intended by the manufacturer,'" the suit claimed.

Labels for "Fireball Cinnamon" and "Fireball Cinnamon Whisky" appeared nearly identical, the suit said. What consumers were getting was actually just a malt beverage with "natural whisky" flavors "sold at a premium price," which they might not realize. Malt beverages, as defined by the lawsuit, are "based on fermentation to create a neutral base to which flavors and colors may be added."

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The lawsuit seeks judgment for consumers in Illinois, among several other states, and asks for "monetary, statutory and/or punitive damages" as well as "costs and expenses, including reasonable attorney and expert fees."

Contact reporter Rae Johnson at RNJohnson@gannett.com. Follow them on Twitter at @RaeJ_33.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Fireball Cinnamon maker, based in Louisville, is sued over labels