Dare To Drink: Mix Fireball And Hot Sauce For A Shot Like No Other

Fireball fans will be happy to tell you, it's all about the burn. Even the brand's official slogan promises, "Tastes like Heaven, burns like Hell." Now, we dare you to twist the proverbial knife and fan the flames with even more burn. It's time to add hot sauce to your Fireball shot (yes, really).

Maybe it's the dizzying carousel of increasingly chaotic world events that keep unfolding over the past three years and won't slow down. Maybe we just need to pull ourselves away from the typewriters and get outside for a little bit. Or, maybe Fireball and hot sauce is actually a killer combo and we aren't off our rockers at all (say it). Even the official Fireball Whisky website recognizes the combo as a real thing. According to the site's authority, this shot bears the foreboding title of "Dragon's Blood."

The Dragon's Blood isn't the kind of shot you rip six of in a night (probably), but it's definitely worth a try for fans of the fuego. To make it, says Fireball, just combine the cinnamon-flavored whisky and one to 10 drops of hot sauce in a shot glass, adjusting the spiciness depending on your preference. Stir to mix and slam it back all at once. The finished product is a cloudy yet vivid crimson-red ripper built to bring the burn and earn the respect (or concern) of friends and fathers-in-law everywhere.

To enjoy this concoction, opt for a hot sauce with a thin consistency and vinegar-forward red pepper profile, like Tabasco, El Yucateco, or Texas Pete's. These hot sauce varieties offer a range of heat to satisfy all palettes. Also, their straightforward notes will let the bold Fireball shine. To avoid clashing with the cinnamon, steer clear of hot sauces with more complex profiles like Cholula, Tapatío, and Sriracha. Their garlicky taste doesn't work as well here.

While we don't suggest consuming this duo in any quantity larger than a shot glass, the Fireball-hot-sauce pairing could make a flavorful base for a lower ABV cocktail (Fireball clocks in at 33%). You could pour the spicy combo into the bottom of a highball glass and top with pineapple juice and ice. Or, to up the spice factor even further, top it with ginger ale and rim the glass with Tajín and salt. It would also elevate a spiced Sangria or boozy apple cider.

You could even turn the muddle Fireball and hot sauce into a Whiskey Peach Smash cocktail for an off-the-wall take on a classic from one of the 13 influential bartenders you should know about, Dale DeGroff. To do so, muddle two ounces of Fireball with the hot sauce, a splash of curaçao, and a few fresh peach and lemon slices in the bottom of a shaker. Dry shake and strain into an ice-filled glass to serve.