The Wait Is Over. Now Stock Up For A New Season Like A Champion.
Twenty-two years. Let that land properly.
The last time Arsenal won the Premier League, Arsène Wenger's Invincibles were doing it unbeaten, Thierry Henry was the most dangerous man in England, and most of the people reading this blog were still in secondary school. "After three consecutive seasons as runners-up twice behind Manchester City, once ten points behind Liverpool, Mikel Arteta's side finally crossed the finish line." "Manchester City could only draw 1-1 at Bournemouth, leaving Arsenal four points clear with one game remaining. The title was coming to north London."
For Arsenal fans in Nigeria, and there are millions of you, scattered across Lagos living rooms, Abuja viewing centres, and Port Harcourt WhatsApp groups, this is not just a football result. This is a moment that deserved a proper drink and probably didn't get one because nobody had planned for it.
The 2026/27 season opens on 21 August, and Arsenal go again as champions. This time, plan the drinks.
The Champagne Moment First
"Arsenal finished the 2025/26 season with 82 points, the fewest goals conceded in the league, and David Raya winning the Golden Glove with 19 clean sheets." A title built on defensive solidity and relentless consistency. Unglamorous to some, irrelevant to everyone who watched the trophy lift.
A title defense opening weekend deserves champagne. Not as an afterthought as the first bottle opened, before the pre-match show, before anyone settles into their seat.
Moët & Chandon Impérial Rosé is the call here. Pink, premium, unmistakable. The kind of bottle that communicates immediately that whoever opened it understood the assignment. Pop it at kickoff. Not before, at kickoff. Let the moment earn it.
For the Whisky Crowd
Arsenal's title run was built on patience: "the squad absorbed a nine-point lead disappearing in eleven days during April, regrouped, won four consecutive matches, and waited for City to drop points." That kind of composure deserves a whisky that rewards patience in return.
Glenfiddich 15 Year Old is the watch party whisky for this occasion. Fifteen years in the Solera vat, layers of honey and warm oak, a finish that doesn't rush anywhere. Pour it neat; don't explain it. Let the person holding it figure out why it tastes like something worth coming back to.
For the crowd that wants something slightly more accessible alongside it, Johnnie Walker Double Black handles volume without sacrificing quality. Deeper and smokier than the standard Black Label, and in a 1L bottle because opening weekend of the champions' title defence is not a standard-measure situation.
For the Tequila Energy
Arsenal fans know about waiting through difficult stretches and coming out the other side. Three runners-up finished twice on the final day before the breakthrough. There is a specific quality of relief and joy that only comes after years of near-misses, and tequila is the drink that matches that energy.
Don Julio Reposado for the people who want to celebrate properly: smooth, premium, the bottle that tells your guests the host came prepared.
Casamigos Blanco for the rounds that follow goals. Clean, quick, crowd-pleasing. When Bukayo Saka or whoever's wearing the number seven shirt scores in the 78th minute of the opening fixture, you don't want to be looking for a corkscrew. Casamigos is ready.
The Beer That Belongs at Every Watch Party
No amount of premium spirits changes the fact that the best drink for ninety minutes of football is often cold beer. Simple, social, low-maintenance.
Peroni Nastro Azzurro Italian lager, crisp and clean, the one your guests instinctively reach for. Stock more than you think you'll need. You won't have leftovers.
Birra Moretti for the guests with a slightly more specific taste in Italian lager. Same occasion, different bottle. Both are worth having on ice.
The Ready-to-Drink Option (For When It Gets Busy)
Watch party mathematics: the bigger the crowd, the more chaotic the halftime kitchen situation. The solution is bottles that require nothing from you except ice and a glass.
Coppa Cocktail Espresso Martini: cold, bold, and ready in ten seconds. The halftime drink that keeps energy up and doesn't require anyone to abandon the second half to make it.
Tails Cocktail Passion Fruit Martini is for the guests who want something tropical and sophisticated without making anyone feel like a bartender at their own gathering.
Buy RTD Cocktails on BottleKing
For the Non-Drinkers (Who Are Also at the Party)
Arsenal's fanbase in Nigeria spans every demographic. Some of your guests don't drink. They still came to celebrate twenty-two years ending and a new era beginning. They deserve something worth holding.
Tanqueray Alcohol Free over Fever-Tree tonic with a lime wheel; it looks and drinks like a proper G&T and requires no explanation.
San Pellegrino Aranciata Rossa, blood orange Italian sparkling water. The kind of thing you hand someone who doesn't drink and watch them immediately feel like the most considered guest at the party.
Crodino Rosso: Italy's most beloved non-alcoholic aperitif. Pour it over ice before kickoff, and it holds its own against anything else on the table.
Buy Non-Alcoholic on BottleKing
Get Everything Delivered Before 21 August
Every bottle in this guide is available at BottleKing: 100% authentic, nationwide delivery, reward points on every purchase when you register.
"It's done. No more jokes, man. It's our time." Bukayo Saka said after the title was confirmed. He was right. Arsenal are champions. The new season opens on the 21st August, 2026.
Don't scramble for drinks on the day. Order now.
Member discussion