Why you should be celebrating Negroni Week
Seven days, Three ingredients, One simple way to give back.
So runs the slogan of Negroni Week, which comes to a close tomorrow. Imbibe Magazine and Camppari teamed up in 2013 to create this event, with the double purpose of celebrating one of the world's true classic cocktails and raising money for charities around the world.
The concept is pretty simple. Bars and restaurants sign up to take part in the event, they make a donation to one of the chosen charity partners, mix up the cocktails for a week and can make further donations once it is over. In the first year about 120 locations took part, this year almost 10,000 are on board and the scheme has raised about $2m for good causes.
The charities represented come from across the globe, suporting the homeless, animals, refugees, immigrants, healthy, the arts and the LGBTQ community - among others. You can find the full list of charities here.
Image courtesy of Imbibe Magazine
For my money, the Negroni is the perfect (and most deserving) cocktail to take part in the event. It is the least-heralded of the classic cocktail community among the wider public. It lacks the 'cool' endorsement enjoyed by something like James Bond's Martini or Don Draper's Old Fashioned and it's distinctive taste can be a turn-off for some.
I have written about this particular cocktail a few times, from the ideal recipe to some of it's fashionable fans. But it is certainly one which deserves a platform to shout from and Negroni Week meshes education and fundraising into an idea we can all get behind.
The full list of bars taking part is here, frustratingly the UK seems to be a bit behind on this, but readers in the US and Australia can take advantage. Us Brits will have to do better for next year.
Until then, make sure you give generously - and cheers.
