Aftershock: The 90s Cinnamon Liqueur You Might Have Forgotten About
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Correction 2/13/2023: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Fireball does not contain any whisky. This has since been updated to clarify that Fireball Cinnamon, a malt beverage produced by the same company, does not contain whisky, whereas Fireball does.
The 1990s and early 2000s gave us no shortage of wild and wonderful beverages: the divisive colorless Crystal Pepsi and Pepsi Blue, the squid-ink black Midnight Thunder Gatorade, and perhaps the most memorable, the lava lamp-like Orbitz soda with its floating gel balls (eventually Orbitz switched to the travel industry, per Atlas Obscura). These drinks have been discontinued, lost to time — though they live on in cult-following forums and Facebook pages. However, some '90s concoctions keep their foothold and are seeing something of a resurgence. Old fads return, so perhaps we should look backward for new food and drink ideas. What about ... Aftershock?
According to Drink Supermarket, Aftershock is a flavored liqueur with a viscous consistency produced by Jim Beam that originally came in five flavors. It was initially marketed toward more mature imbibers around 1997. Still, once it caught on among the younger crowd, they discontinued some varieties and lowered the ABV from 40% to 30% (via ToronadoSD) in 2008. Perhaps this sounds familiar to you — spicy spirits adored by young drinkers? Here's a cinnamon liqueur lexicon, where Aftershock fits into pop culture and some unexpected uses for the stuff.
Balls of fire, flakes of gold
When most people think of cinnamon liqueur these days, they think of Fireball — which owes its popularity to brilliant branding and has since even edged out long-reigning Jägermeister as the go-to party shot. Fireball Cinnamon can't seem to stay out of the spotlight. The New York Times reported that its maker was sued for not disclosing that it didn't contain any actual whiskey. Unlike Fireball whiskey, Fireball Cinnamon is a lower-ABV, flavored malt beverage, which explains why you'll see it sold outside liquor stores). Additionally, Fireball was recalled over safety concerns in some European countries for its high propylene glycol content — an antifreeze ingredient, per CBS News.
But that's not the only famous cinnamon drink on the market. Before the rise of Fireball, in 2007's movie "Superbad," you see Goldslick, a movie-named version of Goldschläger — a Swiss cinnamon schnapps with genuine 24-karat gold flakes dancing around in it like some boozy snowglobe that has inspired urban legends, per A Little Bit Human. The site explains that one of these involves the gold pieces cutting your stomach and somehow getting you drunker quicker. Similarly, Drink Supermarket writes that Aftershock has been rumored to crystallize after ingestion, only to return to a liquid state the next day to clobber you with its alcohol once again.
How to drink and eat Aftershock
We may never know what makes cinnamon liqueurs such magnets for drama, but we can agree that they taste delicious. They give you a warm fuzzy feeling, especially when it's cold out. If you've tried the rest and think Aftershock is the best, you can still order it from various online liquor purveyors and find it in select stores. On Amazon.co.uk, customers wrote things like "the 1990s hit me as soon as the taste hit my tongue" and "Love this cannot get enough of it down my neck." Aside from drinking it as a syrupy shooter, one Amazon reviewer suggested pairing Aftershock with Pepsi Cherry.
Try it in mixed drinks, like Food Network's creamy cinnamon cereal cocktail, sparkling cinnamon cider, or festive but brutal-sounding Red Hot Shot. GreatBartender features many ideas for the intriguing Aftershock Hot & Cool Cinnamon, which has a minty afterburn. We're curious about Aftershock in things other than cocktails. What about cooking? Plain Chicken has a Fireball whiskey-glazed chicken that invites improvisation. Or how about Aftershock in honey brown sugar ham or glazed carrots? At the very least, bake a boozy dessert with it and stoke the flames of nostalgia.