Campari, the flagship brand of its namesake group and the heart of the classic Negroni cocktail, is thrilled to announce the revival of Campari Red Hands Asia 2024.
This regional bartending competition, last held in 2019, is set to unite and inspire the bartending community across Asia in a quest to find the next Campari Red Hands Asia Champion.
This year’s “Cocktail & Senses” competition encourages participating teams to incorporate any of the five senses—sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound—into their creations.
As the participating bars showcase their exclusive Campari cocktails, drinkers can indulge in the competing teams’ creativity and skill and savour the iconic aperitif’s versatility.
Teamwork Takes Center Stage: A Collaborative Approach to Mixology
Recognizing the collaborative spirit and synergy behind the bar, the competition has adopted a team-based approach.
Each team consists of three talented bartenders.
The competition will unfold in three stages, starting with a video presentation (Round 1), followed by a month-long showcase of campaign-exclusive cocktails for consumers (Round 2), and culminating in a local showdown (Round 3).
The representative from each country’s winning team will then proceed to the grand final in Milan, Italy, the birthplace of Campari.
In Malaysia, 15 teams from renowned bars such as Bar Trigona, Reka: Bar, BISO, and Bar Mizukami have advanced to Round 2.
From now until 29 August, these bars will offer limited-time-only cocktails, allowing patrons to savour the competing teams’ creativity and skill.
The competition will culminate with a finals on 18 September, which also coincides with Negroni Week 2024.
The Evolution of Red Hands Asia: From Local Competition to Global Stage
Red Hands Asia’s origins date back to 2018 when it was launched as the Campari Bartender Competition Asia.
The program aims to celebrate bartenders who embody Campari’s essence and boldness, pushing creative boundaries to achieve the extraordinary.
In 2024, the competition was revived as Campari Red Hands Asia and expanded to a global scale, leaving a lasting legacy in Campari’s history.
As the search for the next aperitivo icon begins, teams are encouraged to present creations that could extend the branches of the Negroni Tree, which includes iconic staples from the past, present, and future, such as the Americano, Boulevardier, and Sbagliato.
With Campari at the centre of their creations, bartenders are poised to expand their horizons and craft intricate, sensorial cocktails that represent their bar’s philosophy.
