Dave Portnoy doesn't just drink champagne. He uses it as a weapon. If you’ve followed Barstool Sports for more than five minutes, you’ve likely seen the "El Pres" victory lap. He’s sitting poolside or in a cluttered office, a thick cigar clamped between his teeth, and a gold bottle of Ace of Spades in his hand. But these aren’t just random celebrations for a job well done. For Portnoy, the pop of a cork is the final nail in a professional coffin.
Honestly, the whole "Dave Portnoy champagne bottles" thing is one of the weirdest, pettiest, and most effective branding moves in digital media. It's not about the luxury. It’s about the "I told you so."
The Revenge List Engraved in Gold
Most people keep a mental list of people who’ve wronged them. Dave Portnoy literally engraves theirs on bottles of Armand de Brignac, better known as "Ace of Spades." In his office, there’s a literal collection of these bottles. Each one represents an enemy—a CEO, a rival blogger, or a media executive—who Dave believes tried to "cancel" him or Barstool.
He waits. Sometimes for months. Sometimes for years.
He doesn’t pop the bottle when things are going well for him; he pops it when things go south for them. It’s a professional death watch. When Business Insider CEO Henry Blodget stepped down in 2023, Dave was ready. When Deadspin went through its multiple iterations of collapse and layoffs, Dave was there with the bubbles. He’s even gone on the Joe Rogan Experience and explained the philosophy: it’s the ultimate motivation.
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"I have champagne bottles engraved with the top of the list enemies of mine. And I wait for them to fuck up. And then I pop them." — Dave Portnoy
It’s dark. It’s hilarious. It’s pure Barstool.
The Most Famous Bottles (and the Victims)
You can’t talk about these bottles without talking about the "victims." This isn't just about winning; it's about outlasting the people who wanted him gone.
- John Skipper (Former ESPN President): This is the one Dave often cites as the perfect timing. He had the bottle ready, and then Skipper resigned amid a reported extortion plot involving a cocaine dealer. Dave didn't miss a beat. The cork flew.
- Henry Blodget & Nicholas Carlson (Business Insider): After Business Insider published a series of "hit pieces" regarding Portnoy’s personal life, Dave made them his primary targets. When Blodget announced he was stepping down, Portnoy filmed himself poolside, pouring glass after glass, calling it "victory."
- Deadspin: Dave has probably "killed" Deadspin five different times. Every time the site gets sold or the staff is fired, he buys a new bottle. He famously called it "kicking a dead ass dog," yet he still finds the energy to celebrate every single time.
- Dan Bernstein: A more recent addition to the "Champagne Club." After a social media feud with Barstool Chicago's Eddie, Portnoy put the Chicago radio host on a bottle. In March 2025, when news broke that Bernstein was out at 670 The Score, Dave popped the bottle live during a March Madness stream.
Why Ace of Spades?
You’ll notice he almost always reaches for the gold bottle. Armand de Brignac (Ace of Spades) retails for anywhere from $300 to $600 a pop depending on the size. It’s owned by Jay-Z and LVMH.
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It’s flashy. It’s loud. It’s the visual equivalent of a middle finger.
The choice of brand is intentional. Portnoy has plenty of money—he sold Barstool for hundreds of millions and then bought it back for $1—so the price tag isn't the point. The point is that Ace of Spades is synonymous with "championships." By using it to celebrate the failure of a rival, he’s framing their demise as his own personal Super Bowl.
The "Champagne Gate" Controversy
Ironically, Dave isn't always a fan of people popping bottles. Recently, in late 2025, he went on a rant during Big Noon Kickoff about MLB teams celebrating too much. He blasted the New York Yankees for popping champagne after winning a Wild Card series.
"You win a Wild Card... and they're acting like they won the World Series," he grumbled. To Dave, champagne is sacred. It’s for the end of the war, not a minor skirmish. This highlights the nuance in his "petty" brand: he thinks you have to earn the right to spray the room. In his mind, he’s earned it by surviving two decades of media scrutiny.
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How to Follow the "Champagne Dave" Strategy
If you’re looking to channel your inner El Pres, you don’t need a $28 million Florida compound, but you do need the right mindset. Portnoy’s use of champagne is a masterclass in "Spite Marketing."
- Public Accountability: He announces the enemy before the victory. This creates "stakes." If the person succeeds, Dave looks like a fool. If they fail, he’s a prophet.
- Visual Storytelling: A tweet saying "I'm glad they got fired" is boring. A video of a man in a silk robe pouring $500 champagne while a dog named Miss Peaches wanders in the background is "content."
- Consistency: He doesn't let go of grudges. This creates a long-term narrative that fans can follow for years.
The Actual Labels and Engraving
A common question is: Where does Dave get the bottles engraved? While he hasn't named a specific shop, most high-end liquor boutiques in Manhattan or Miami offer laser engraving. If you’re looking to do this for a "friend" (or an enemy), you're looking for "custom bottle engraving" services. Most people do it for weddings or anniversaries. Dave does it for the professional downfall of corporate executives.
What This Means for Barstool's Future
As we move into 2026, the "Champagne Dave" persona is more than just a meme. It’s a signal to his audience that Barstool is back to its "pirate ship" roots. After the Penn Entertainment split, Dave is no longer beholden to corporate boards or gambling regulators who might find "celebrating a rival's firing" to be in poor taste.
The bottles represent freedom. They represent a guy who has enough money to never have to be "polite" again.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
- Identify Your "North Star" Metrics: For Dave, it's outlasting the competition. What’s your version of popping the bottle?
- Build a Narrative: Don't just post random updates. Create recurring themes (like the "Enemies List") that give your audience a reason to stay tuned.
- Vulnerability in Victory: Portnoy often shows the "mess" of the celebration—the corks hitting the ceiling, the spilled wine, the cigar ash. Perfection is boring; the raw reaction is what goes viral.
To truly understand the Dave Portnoy champagne bottles phenomenon, you have to understand that it’s not about the wine. It’s about the fact that he’s still standing to drink it. Whether you think it’s "gross" or "legendary," it’s undeniably effective.
Next time you see a gold bottle on his desk, just know: someone, somewhere, is having a very bad day at the office.