Campari, Italy’s iconic red aperitivo, and Imbibe Magazine will come together in celebration this September to celebrate 10 years of raising funds for a better world through Negroni Week. Over the past decade, the global charity initiative, which puts the power of fundraising in the hands of bars, restaurants and retailers, raised millions of dollars for charitable causes.

In its landmark tenth year, the Initiative has shifted to welcome a new single official giving partner, Slow Food. Slow Food is a global movement of local communities and activists, across more than 160 countries, that envisions a world where everyone can enjoy food and beverage that is good for them, good for the people who grow it, and good for the planet. Just like the Negroni and Campari, Slow Food has Italian roots, creating the perfect pairing.

The Slow Food Negroni Week Fund will directly support Slow Food’s international projects, while also supporting the hospitality community, the preservation of cultural and biological diversity and the promotion of food and beverage education and knowledge exchange. With the increasing challenges facing the hospitality and food and beverage worlds, their work will be more important than ever.

Not only is 2022 the 10th year of Negroni Week, but it also sees Negroni take the top spot as the world’s best-selling cocktail (Drinks International, 2022), making the anniversary celebrations especially notable. As a cocktail that stirs passion for change, the Negroni is the perfect drink to toast such a worthy cause.

WHAT NEGRONI WEEK 2022 HAS TO OFFER

Campari stands for Red Passion, the creative urge inside us that is impossible to ignore. As the very embodiment of this ethos, Campari believes that bartenders are masters of creativity and artistry, exuding Red Passion in their every creation. That is why the Negroni Week 10-year celebrations will be centred around the ‘Bartender’s Handshake’, a longstanding ritual that symbolises the very essence of hospitality.

For many years, the ‘Bartender Handshake’ ritual has been present within the bartending community as a way to greet friends and colleagues with a small serve on the house, acting as a way to show appreciation. This year, to celebrate Negroni Week’s 10th Anniversary and the global bartending community, Campari will bring a twist to this ritual by asking bartenders around the world to create “Bartender Handshake” Negroni variations. A ritual that has only been known to those within the community will now be shared with consumers around the world through a series of Negroni Week events, providing Campari fans with an introduction to the bartender’s handshake as well as a perfect opportunity to donate to a worthy cause.

In South Africa, consumers can experience the Bartender’s Handshake for themselves at a variety of venues in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Gqeberha, Pretoria and Durban. Consumers can also take part in additional fundraising for Slow Food through an online raffle of a Campari artwork done by local artist Kurt Pio. Kurt is a full-time painter who works from his studio in Cape Town. Kurt’s work has been showcased at numerous local and international exhibitions, in addition to his highly-praised solo shows. He has received considerable coverage in prominent local interior and lifestyle magazines for the past thirteen years, and in Belgian, German, Australian and American newspapers, magazines and blogs. Kurt’s exclusive Negroni Week artwork will be available for raffle entries from 06 – 30 September 2022, with all proceeds from entry donations going to Slow Food. The public is encouraged to visit https://negroniweeksa.com/ to submit their donation.

Marco Cavagnera, Global Channel and Customer Marketing Sr. Director, comments; “At Campari, we are proud and passionate about making a difference, building upon the value raised during Negroni Week for charitable causes since 2013. We’re thrilled to once again be supporting Negroni Week and be celebrating the landmark occasion of the 10th anniversary, giving bartenders a chance to showcase their Red Passion and provide Campari and Negroni lovers around the world with unique experiences, all for a worthy cause. Together with Imbibe and Slow Food, we invite everyone to join us in raising a Negroni to 10 phenomenal years of giving back and achieving meaningful change—and to 10 more.”

Karen Foley, Publisher of Imbibe, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be celebrating the 10^th anniversary of Negroni Week with our trusted partners at Campari, and to be welcoming Slow Food as our official giving partner in such a meaningful year.  The initiative has come a long way over the past 10 years, and we are looking forward to another decade of celebrating and giving back.”

For more information about what’s happening during Negroni Week 2022 visit http://www.negroniweek.com and follow #NegroniWeek2022 #CampariNegroni #Negroni #Campari #Imbibe and @Campariofficial.

ABOUT CAMPARI

Campari is a contemporary and charismatic classic. The secret recipe, which has remained unchanged, originated in Novara in 1860 and is the base for some of the most famous cocktails around the world, Campari is an alcoholic spirit obtained from the infusion of bitter herbs, aromatic plants and fruit in alcohol and water. With its vibrant red color, intense aroma and inspiring flavour, Campari has always been a symbol of intrigue and pleasure, which unfurls itself into a captivating drinking experience. These are the values that have made the Campari brand famous throughout the world as an icon of passionate Italian style and excellence.

ABOUT THE NEGRONI

It was around the year 1919 in Florence when Count Camillo Negroni contemplated ordering an Americano cocktail but decided it was time for a change. He requested it with a touch of gin instead of soda, inspired by his last trip to London and its prevalent gin scene. The bartender was pleased to honor Count Camillo Negroni’s request and added an orange garnish rather than the lemon wedge of the Americano to signify the new drink he had created. In Florence, the Count’s ‘usual’ became known as Count Negroni’s Americano, or the “Americano with a touch of gin”, but whatever it was referred to as back then, the Negroni was born. The Negroni is now one of the most famous contemporary classic cocktails. Anywhere you go in the world, you will find a mixologist who can make you the iconic Negroni. The original recipe, the perfectly balanced combination of equal parts of Campari, Red Vermouth and London Dry gin, is almost a century old and continues to be enjoyed today. The International Bartenders Association (IBA) lists Campari as an official ingredient of the Negroni, and thus, there is no Negroni without Campari! For more information visit www.campari.com.

ABOUT CAMPARI GROUP

Campari Group is a major player in the global spirits industry, with a portfolio of over 50 premium and super premium brands, spreading across Global, Regional and Local priorities. Global Priorities, the Group’s key focus, include Aperol, Appleton Estate, Campari, SKYY, Wild Turkey and Grand Marnier. The Group was founded in 1860 and today is the sixth-largest player worldwide in the premium spirits industry. It has a global distribution reach, trading in over 190 nations around the world with leading positions in Europe and the Americas. Campari Group’s growth strategy aims to combine organic growth through strong brand building and external growth via selective acquisitions of brands and businesses. Headquartered in Milan, Italy, Campari Group owns 22 plants worldwide and has its own distribution network in 23 countries. Campari Group employs approximately 4,000 people. The shares of the parent company Davide Campari-Milano N.V. (Reuters CPRI.MI – Bloomberg CPR IM) have been listed on the Italian Stock Exchange since 2001. For more information: http://www.camparigroup.com/en Please enjoy our brands responsibly.

ABOUT IMBIBE

Imbibe is the ultimate guide to liquid culture. In every issue of the James Beard award-winning magazine and on imbibemagazine.com, you’ll find the world’s top drink destinations, recipes and in-depth stories—everything you need to know about the people, places and flavors of drinks. Imbibe also publishes cocktail books and produces drink-related events, including Negroni Week. For more information, visit imbibemagazine.com and follow @imbibe and #imbibe.

NEGRONI WEEK 2022 VENUES