Bold ’98 Irish Whiskey held a retro-themed launch called Party Like It’s ’98 at Nomaada Restaurant in Victoria Island, Lagos, on 5 October 2026. Distributors, media, hospitality operators, celebrities and consumers attended tastings, cocktails and a rap and dance battle. The event was billed as a Nigerian debut, although the whiskey has been on sale here since June 2025.
Jambitts, based in Isolo, Lagos, distributes the whiskey, and Stafford Irish Spirits Co of County Wexford produces it. The brand is a three-year-old blended Irish whiskey at 40% alcohol by volume, aimed at drinkers who buy imported spirits in bars, lounges and restaurants. Financial terms and sales figures were not disclosed.
Selling the experience
The format replaced a standard product presentation with a red-carpet reception, a cocktail laboratory, food and whiskey pairings, a chef’s table sample, a fireside panel, a staged bottle reveal and a catwalk. Live performances and a Gen Z versus Millennial rap and dance battle ran alongside. Guests also posed at a Polaroid station for old-school photographs and were steered to share them online under event hashtags.
The thinking behind it
Motunrayo Raheem, executive director for commercial operations at Stafford Irish Spirits Co, said the team chose the retro idea in January and February, before nostalgia posts filled social media as September approached. She said the aim was to let trade and consumers feel the brand before hearing a pitch, so they meet it as a table drink, a cocktail base and a party spirit. The company’s view is that Nigerian drinkers want quality and character as well as a famous name.
The Irish story
The name comes from the 1798 rebellion in Wexford. The brand’s account is that barley from the rebels’ pockets sprouted after the fighting at Vinegar Hill, and Raheem tied that story to the way Nigerians build their own businesses. The brand describes the blend as triple-distilled grain whiskey, pot-still whiskey, double-distilled malt and triple malt whiskey, with caramel and toasted-oak notes.
Stafford’s own listing says the Bold ’98 liquid is sourced externally, while grain for a separate whiskey ageing in its bonded warehouse is grown on the family farm. That sits alongside the Wexford provenance the brand promotes.
The market test
Bold ’98 enters a category where Johnnie Walker, Jameson and Glenfiddich lead visibility. Jameson built its Nigerian position through years of experiential marketing, including its annual Jameson Connects party.
For Bold ’98, the next test is distribution depth rather than launch-night attention. Retailers list a 70cl bottle at around N40,000, and whether the party turns into repeat orders depends on how far Jambitts can move the brand beyond events. Raheem said the company came to Nigeria to stay.
