September is Negroni Month in YCK Laneways, and you can win $2,500

• It’s Negroni Month at YCK Laneways.
• To get the party started, order a Negroni at bars taking part and you could win a $2,500 Eftpos gift card
• And you will be helping Campari’s charity partner, the Slow Food Negroni Week Fund.

Get ready to paint the town red – Negroni red that is – as YCK Laneways kicks off a month-long festival to celebrate this iconic cocktail. To mark the 13^th annual Negroni Week, the buzzing bars of this inner city precinct will be celebrating with signature drinks, live music, special performances, art installations and plenty of prizes for the entire month of September.

The Negroni was invented in Florence, Italy, in 1919 when Count Camillo Negroni wanted something stronger than his usual drink. It’s a simple recipe – equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and bitter Campari, served over ice with a twist of orange. Unchanged for over a century, it’s become the world’s best-selling classic cocktail.

For Negroni Month, YCK Laneways has partnered with Campari (because there’s no Negroni without Campari) to create three versions of the cocktail – a signature Negroni, a non-alcoholic version and a bartender’s choice, which will be unique to each venue. That could mean herbaceous, surprised, bold barrel-aged spirits or tangy citrus hits.

As you make your way through the precinct, you can taste a new spin on the Negroni at each stop. Participating venues include Burrow Bar, Cash Only Diner, Esteban, Kahii Kissaten, Button Bar, Kuro, Next Door, Papa Gede’s, Roast Republic, Since I Left You, Stitch Bar, The Barber Shop, The Duke of Clarence, Vinabar, Jolene’s, Little National Hotel, PS40 and Uncle Ming’s.

And with every Negroni you buy, you’ll get the chance to win! Your bartender will give you a competition card alongside your drink. If your card reveals the ‘Golden N’ of Count Negroni, you’ll win an instant prize, like a $2500 Eftpos gift card or a Campari bartender pack – perfect for refining your cocktail-making skills at home.

The laneways will be lit up with works from Lightstream. This new public art installation has been created by Fausto Brusamolino and James Peter Brown, and is designed to both create beauty and illuminate the streets to make them safer. Roving performers and jazz musicians will immerse revellers in a festive atmosphere at every step. You can also join workshops and Negroni master classes, take a guided tour of the precinct, watch a burlesque show, and enjoy immersive experiences.

Negroni’s for good

During this month-long cocktail carnival is Negroni Week, September 22 to 28, a worldwide celebration of this cultural icon. The week brings together a good time and good deeds, working with Campari’s charity partner, the Slow Food Negroni Week Fund. The two organisations share the same values – sustainability, education, equity, and diversity, with hospitality, food, and drink woven throughout.

In 2024, Negroni Week raised more than US$630,000 from 12,000 venues across 79 countries. The fund supports a range of scholarships, awards and grants. So, you can order a Negroni (or two) and know that you’re contributing to a better world.

Where is YCK Laneways?

YCK Laneways is a nightlife and entertainment precinct centred around York, Clarence and King streets between Wynyard and Town Hall in the centre of Sydney. It’s packed with small bars hidden down heritage laneways, rooftop bars looking out over the city, live music venues and restaurants serving cuisine from every corner of the globe. It’s also Australia’s first Purple Flag-accredited precinct, identifying it as a vibrant and safe area for nightlife.

Not sure where to start? Have a look at the YCK Laneways bar crawl map to get some ideas. Whether you’re a Negroni purist or curious first timer, Negroni Month at YCK Laneways is a chance to showcase the precinct’s creativity, community and love of this classic. Find out more about Negroni Month at ycklaneways.com.au.