Campari and Imbibe Magazine will partner together for the eighth consecutive year to lead the charge on Negroni Week 2020, an international charity initiative that celebrates the iconic Negroni cocktail. Additionally, as a pledge to support the bartenders and hospitality workers who have endured such hardship this year, Campari will match Negroni Week donations for a total of up to $200,000 to organizations that directly assist the larger community.
In previous years, bars throughout the globe joined forces to raise money for charity during Negroni Week, but this year the global initiative will give back to the hospitality community through donations to hospitality-focused charity partners. With the pandemic’s global spread resulting in bar and restaurant closures, and with countries and states implementing different guidelines for reopening, Negroni Week has shifted its focus to support the hospitality industry, whose involvement in this program has made such a difference over the years – generating over $3 million for charity across 70 countries.
Charitable efforts for Negroni Week 2020 will be concentrated on raising funds to support the hospitality industry directly, with donations going to select charities via NegroniWeek.com. The week-long initiative will become a month-long rally, as consumers are encouraged to donate starting in early September. They’ll be reminded to continue donations throughout the month thanks to an array of engaging and educational digital offerings featuring bartenders and hospitality workers at the heart of our Negroni Week community.
This year’s official Negroni Week charities will be entirely comprised of organizations that provide assistance and support to hospitality workers. The program’s ultimate goal is to rebuild the bar and restaurant community as we raise a Negroni in support of bars, restaurants and hospitality workers in need.
In 2020, Negroni Week events and happenings will all live virtually, enabling Negroni cocktail lovers around the world to support the cause safely by enjoying a Negroni at home and engaging in a number of unique online activities. One such activity will be a series of online, real time classes that take Negroni lovers on a journey through the ‘Negroni Family Tree’ – which highlights the many variations of the classic Negroni – with some of the country’s most esteemed bartenders. The classes will be available on Zoom via the Campari Community, a series of online cocktailing experiences hosted by Campari’s team of brand ambassadors.
As Negroni Week goes virtual to become an at-home charity experience, an array of eCommerce partners have pledged to donate a portion of sales from Campari bottles, Negroni “Kits” and special mixology merchandise to the cause; Cocktail Kingdom (10% of proceeds from Gaz Regan finger stirrer sales), Kegworks ($10 per kit order), Minibar Delivery ($2 per bottle order to CORE), ReserveBar ($2 for every Campari bottle purchased from September 14-20, up to $1,000), SaloonBox (10% of proceeds from kit sales to the Restaurant Workers Community Foundation) and Shaker and Spoon ($2 from each kit sale to the Bartender Emergency Assistance Program). Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits will also contribute $20,000 to Negroni Week causes, doubling their donation from 2019.
Andrea Sengara, Vice President Marketing at Campari America, commented; “Negroni Week originally launched in 2013 as a way for communities to come together to celebrate one of the world’s iconic cocktails, while raising money for charities around the world. In the past, for one week every year, bars and restaurants went above and beyond mixing up classic Negronis and Negroni variations for a great cause. This year in light of the challenges faced by our beloved hospitality community after years of giving, we knew it was the industry’s moment to receive. We’re excited to come together as a Negroni Week community to raise a Negroni to our bars.”
The Negroni is the second most popular cocktail in the world and is listed in the IBA Official Drink List.
Negroni:
- 1 part Campari
- 1 part Sweet Red Vermouth (Campari recommends 1757 Vermouth di Torino)
- 1 part Gin (Campari recommends BULLDOG Gin)
Pour all ingredients directly into a rocks glass filled with ice. Stir gently. Garnish with an orange slice .
The following US-based organizations that represent the hospitality community will be supported by Negroni Week: Another Round Another Rally, CORE: Children of Restaurant Employees, Giving Kitchen, Hot Bread Kitchen, James Beard Foundation, The LEE Initiative, Restaurant Workers Community Foundation, Slow Food Resilience Fund, Southern Smoke Foundation and USBG National Charity Foundation.
Executive Director Aaron Gregory Smith, of United States Bartenders Guild, noted: “Service and the advancement of our industry sits at the heart of everything we do at the USBG and the USBG National Charity Foundation. This year, through the Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief Campaign, we’ve disbursed over 30,000 grants totaling more than $9 million. The philanthropic mission of Negroni Week, which has long been a core part of our year within the Guild nationally, USBG Chapters locally, and the USBG Foundation, dovetails beautifully with those efforts. With more than half a million bartenders out of work, it’s more important than ever for all who have the means to redouble their resolve to serve those who have built careers serving everyone else.”
Photo by Edward Howell
