Master of Malt brings ’90s football nostalgia to range

In anticipation of the 2026 Fifa World Cup, Master of Malt has launched a label-led limited edition whisky range inspired by the ‘iconic era’ of 1990s football.

The collection celebrates the shared cultural moments the ‘beautiful game’ has provided via five whiskies sourced from England, Scotland and Ireland. Master of Malt said it has taken a ‘deliberately creative’ approach to curating the range, with each expression featuring label artwork by in-house duo Ben McKeown and Chris Gunter, which evokes iconic eras in British and Irish international football history, from the Italia '90 campaigns of England and Ireland to Scotland's last appearance at a major international tournament in France in 1998. While the ‘luck of the Irish’ may have failed the national team during this year's qualifiers, the collection also features an Irish whiskey. Sam Simmons, head of whisky at Master of Malt, said: “We created this range to celebrate two things that have always brought people together in a big way: world-class whisky and iconic football moments. “At Master of Malt, we believe deeply in storytelling, whether that's through the liquid itself or the way it's presented – and this is a fun label-led collection. Our designers have created artwork that is inspired by the iconic kits of the Italia '90 and France '98 games – tournaments a generation still talks about. “But the whisky inside is the real deal. These are exceptional independent bottlings that stand entirely on their own merit. Great labels, great whisky – what more do you need?” The five-strong squad The first whisky in the range is a nine-year-old English rye from Suffolk’s Adnams Distillery. Matured in a French oak wine cask, it is creamy and spicy on the nose, with orange cream, ginger, Victoria sponge and honey on the palate. The finish is herby and spiced and, according to Simmons, "demands another sip". It holds the lowest price in the collection, retailing at £39.95 (US$54). Hailing from an undisclosed English distillery, the second whisky in the lineup is a 54% ABV cask strength single malt matured in a Bourbon cask, which retails for £59.95 (US$81). Described as bold and structured at full strength, the addition of water is said to open it up beautifully, revealing melon rind, molasses, ice cream and waffles. The finish is cereal-led, but fresh and fruity. Master of Malt looked to Scotland for the third expression in the five-strong squad, presenting a 12-year-old single malt from a secret Highland distillery, matured in an oloroso Sherry cask. The 46.3% ABV expression is fruity, nutty and approachable on the nose, with roasted nuts, sultanas, salt and sweetness on the palate. The finish is meaty, complex, sweet and satisfying, and said to be ‘humble and proud in equal measure’ and the most approachable dram in the range, priced at £59.95 (US$81). Remaining in Scotland, the fourth whisky comes from Ben Nevis and is a 27-year-old single malt that was distilled in the month Scotland last played at a World Cup. This 47.5% ABV single cask whisky was matured in refill Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks before being disgorged in March 2026. With only 129 bottles in existence, it combines genuine rarity with a provenance story that ‘needs no embellishment’. It retails for £249.95 (US$339) and offers layered oak, spice and herbal notes on the nose, and tropical fruit, melon rind, molasses and texture on the palate. The finish is complex, graceful and elegant. Finally, the eight-year-old double cask whiskey from Ireland has been sourced from an undisclosed distillery. It combines a whiskey aged for 13 years in a red wine barrique with an eight-year-old whiskey matured in a first-fill Bourbon barrel. As the most limited expression in the range at just 66 bottles, it offers fresh and fruity notes on the nose, with fleshy sweetness balanced by oak and tannin on the palate, finishing on grapes, melon and vanilla custard. It is bottled at 43.3% ABV and retails for £49.95 (US$68). All five expressions are now available to buy from Master of Malt.

The range is also available to on- and off-trade via Master of Malt Trade, and distributed through Maverick Drinks. For trade enquiries, contact hi@maverickdrinks.com.