Negroni Week 2015 Raises $321,000

Thanks to the hard work and enthusiasm of bars, restaurants and Negroni lovers around the world, Negroni Week 2015 collectively raised  $321,000 in donations—that’s almost triple the amount raised in 2014! This is the third year in a row that Negroni Week participating venues have exceeded the previous year’s fundraising total, and in just three years the initiative has raised nearly $500,000 in donations.

The week-long charity campaign, presented by Imbibe and Campari, took place from June 1-7, 2015, across 44 countries. More than 3,500 venues participated from countries as diverse as the United States, Canada, Italy, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, India and China, with bars/restaurants donating at least $1 of every Negroni sale to the charity of their choice over the course of the week-long initiative.

This year’s top fundraiser was Grand Banks in New York City. Grand Banks donated the funds it raised to The Maritime Foundation, and as the top fundraiser, Campari is generously donating $10,000 to The Maritime Foundation, which preserves artifacts of maritime history and educates the public about maritime culture and marine ecology. “There are few things more rewarding than drinking a Negroni for a good cause, so Negroni Week was a perfect opportunity for us to do what we love and support a non-profit organization that is central to our mission,” says Alexander Pincus of Grand Banks. “That we sold the most Negronis is a wonderful surprise and a testament to our guest’s fine taste in spirits. We’re very proud to have raised substantial money for The Maritime Foundation to support sustainability in our oceans, and we’re honored that Campari is donating an additional $10,000 on our behalf.”

Imbibe also randomly selected one participating Negroni Week bar to receive a $1,000 donation to their chosen charity. We selected The Iberian Pig in Decatur, Georgia, and on their behalf, we will be donating $1,000 to The Giving Kitchen, which provides emergency assistance grants to Atlanta’s restaurant community facing unanticipated hardship. On why The Iberian Pig chose to support The Giving Kitchen, bar manager Jason King says, “I think it was simply out of deep gratitude towards their organization for what they have done not only for our people in the Castellucci Hospitality Group, but for many in the industry here in Atlanta. Their willingness to generously devote their time and resources to helping industry folk in need is incredible, and I was honored to give back to them through Negroni Week.”

We want to extend a special thank you to everyone who came together this year to participate in Negroni Week and support charities in their local communities, ans special thanks to the US Bartender’s Guild for rallying so much support in the bartending community. The enthusiasm we’ve seen from participating bars, restaurants, retailers, bartenders and Negroni lovers speaks to the incredible generosity of the cocktail world, and we’re incredibly proud of everyone’s efforts.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for next year as Negroni Week returns June 6-12, 2016, and in the meantime, raise a Negroni to this amazing effort!