Negroni Week 2020 takes on a bittersweet note

Negroni Week 2020 takes place from 15 to 30 September 2020 and will see a bittersweet celebration this pandemic stricken year.

Negroni Week, an annual cocktail festival that celebrates the classic Italian cocktail, is usually held in a big way. But with the global coronavirus pandemic weighing heavy on minds and lives across the world, Negroni Week this year takes on a far more sombre note. With social distancing restrictions heavily curtailing any large-scale activities, much of Negroni Week in Singapore this year is likely to take place online and at home instead.

If you’re not familiar with Negroni Week, it was first launched in 2013 by Imbibe Magazine in the United States and supported by Campari as a celebration of one of the cocktail world’s greatest efforts to raise money for charitable causes around the globe. Since then bars and bartenders around the world join forces every year to raise money for charity. In 2018, nearly 10,000 venues across 87 countries combined to raise an impressive total of $585,000 for charity.

But with COVID-19 devastating the nightlife and F&B industries – putting many jobs at risk – this year’s fundraising efforts will be directed at supporting bartenders and those affected by the pandemic. In Singapore, Negroni Week has partnered with Majulah Movement to raise funds for members of the F&B industry, migrant workers, and healthcare workers, among others. Usually Negroni Week takes place over seven days, but this year has been extended for most of September to continue the fundraising.

“This year took an unexpected turn for us all. One industry close to our hearts that has been significantly affected is hospitality, so it felt fitting that we use the ever-growing reputation and influence that Negroni Week has gathered over the years to help support those that have given so much in the past,” said Marco Cavagnera, Global Channel and Customer Marketing Senior Director for Campari.

“We hope that many will join us in celebrating this year, as safely as possible,” Cavagnera added.

Here are four ways you can participate in this year’s Negroni Week:

1. Raise a Negroni at your nearest cocktail bar.

Head to your favourite (or nearest) cocktail bar and order yourself a Negroni. While this year sees limited participation from bars – it’s just around 25 this year, compared to over 50 last year – that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the beautiful bittersweetness of a well-made Negroni.

If you ask us though, we’d totally head over to Manhattan in Regent Singapore. They are featuring Negronis from different bars from across the globe; for example, the Polem Negroni is a creation by Dr. Stravinsky Cocktail Bar in Barcelona, Spain (ranked in the World’s 50 Best Bars at No. 25) that uses a touch of Bergamot liqueur to add a lovely floral touch. Otherwise, Be Real by veteran bartender-owner Anthony Zhong of Shin Gi Tai replaces the vermouth with amaro liqueur for a stronger, herbal hit.

Some of the bars participating in this year’s Negroni Week are:

• Anti:Dote, Swissotel The Stamford
• Barbary Coast
• The Guild Singapore
• Heart of Darkness Singapore
• Manhattan, Regent Singapore
• Bar MF by Burger & Lobster
• Miss Fitz
• MO Bar, Mandarin Oriental Singapore
• Origin Bar, Shangri-La Hotel
• The Secret Mermaid
• Shin Gi Tai
• Smoke & Mirrors
• Tess Bar & Kitchen
• The Bar at 15 Stamford by Alvin Leung, The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore

2. Order a Negroni to drink in the comfort – and safety – of your own home.

If you prefer to enjoy a Negroni at home, just make one yourself if you have the right ingredients. Otherwise many of the participating bars offer their Negroni creations for takeaway and delivery.

For a more classic version, you can also try the newly launched Campari Negroni RTE. This ready-to-drink comes pre-batched for convenience, and is a simple yet well-balanced Negroni in every way. We enjoyed its bright citrus notes rounded out by tangy juniper, as well as its woody, bitter finish.

3. Purchase an exclusive chocolate bon bon set.

This year, Campari has partnered premium small-batch chocolatier Benns Ethicoa to create a limited-edition box of bon bon chocolates to raise funds for charity. This special, once-off release is a box of bons bons in two flavours – Classic Negroni Chocolate Bon Bon and Negroni Bianco Chocolate Bon Bon.

10% of the proceeds from the sale of each box will go towards Majulah Movement, with Campari pledging an additional donation of $1 for every box sold.

You can purchase the Negroni Week chocolate bon bons here.

4. Pledge a donation to Majulah Movement.

If you’re not into cocktails or chocolate, you can still do your part for Negroni Week – and people in need – by donating directly to Majulah Movement. Simply commit to purchasing some meals or treat packs for selected beneficiaries during this time of need.

You can make your contributions to Majulah Movement here.