According to the brand website, a character named Dr. Aloysius Percival McGillicuddy created the liqueur. He lived in the late 19th century as a bartender in an old western town.[7]
In 2016, Sazerac launched several Dr. McGillicuddy branded flavored whiskeys; Apple, Peach, Honey and Blackberry. They are all 60 proof.[8] The flavored whiskey are available in bottle sizes 50 mL, 750 mL and 1 L.
In 2012, the brand was among the 100 largest selling brands by revenue among brands analyzed by SymphonyIRI, and had a market growth rate exceeding 100%.[9]
The brand name has also been used by Sazerac for a New Orleans–based non-alcoholic root beer.[10][11]
Discontinued flavors and the rebranding of Fireball
Originally, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky was labelled as "Dr. McGillicuddy's Fireball Whisky" when it was introduced by Seagram in the mid-1980s.[3] The "Dr. McGillicuddy's" was dropped from the label in 2007, to differentiate it from the rest of the "Dr. McGillicuddy's" line.[12][13][14]
Previously, the lineup included a Black Licorice, Black Pepper, Raspberry, and Lemon Drop liqueurs but the company web site does not currently list it as being available.[5][15][16]
