Campari Canada adds to its ongoing support for hospitality workers affected by COVID-19 pandemic

Premium spirits company donates $50,000 to Canada’s Bartenders Benevolent Fund

May 13, 2020 (Toronto, ON) – Campari Canada today announced a $50,000 donation to the Bartenders Benevolent Fund, a Canadian non-profit organization that is raising muchneeded funds for bartenders, servers and other hospitality staff who have fallen under serious financial hardship. The hospitality industry continues to be one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

This latest donation is part of the #ShakenNotBroken initiative that Campari Group has undertaken globally during the ongoing crisis. Campari Group’s #ShakenNotBroken campaign has deployed various initiatives to support the hospitality industry around the world.

Campari Canada’s first initiative to support the hospitality industry launched on March 27. The Campari Stir Crazy program, in collaboration with Bartender Atlas, engaged over 130 bartenders to create cocktails and content. Through this program, Campari Canada paid over $35,000 directly to some of Canada’s most creative bartenders. The company has also partnered with Longslice Brewery and The Aviary Brewpub to buy meals for those in need. With the latest donation, Campari Canada is totaling over $85,000 in support to the hospitality industry.

Campari Canada has also produced high-alcohol sanitizer at its Grimsby-based Forty Creek Distillery, which was delivered to local community organizations including the Canadian Red Cross and St Catharines Hospital Niagara.

“Our company, globally and locally here in Canada, has always made community involvement a core principle of our organizational efforts. Our #ShakenNotBroken initiatives around the world are meant to support our friends and peers in the hospitality industry who have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic,” said Melanie Batchelor, President, Campari Canada. “We understand that as the majority of bars and restaurants have been closed by order of provincial governments for safety reasons, the financial impact on those employed in this sector has been immense. We are also aware that even as some regions prepare to slowly and responsibly reopen, some of the challenges faced by these dedicated professionals will remain. Through this donation and other initiatives, Campari Canada will continue to do everything possible to support the Canadian hospitality industry in their time of significant need,” concluded Batchelor.

About Campari Canada:

Campari Canada serves as the nationally-focused extension of global beverage leader Campari Group. Designed to fortify the Campari Group legacy across the national landscape, Campari Canada serves as owner, importer and marketer of a diverse portfolio of over 30 internationally-recognized brands spanning across all fine spirits categories. Among them is Canadian spirits company, Forty Creek Distillery Ltd., known for its award-winning range of complex, yet approachable whiskies. With the Grimsby, Ontario-based Forty Creek location serving as the company’s bottling plant and warehouse, and corporate office headquartered in Toronto’s bourgeoning Liberty Village, Campari Canada continues in the Group’s steadfast commitment to building lifestyle brands and people with passion. Its portfolio of internationally-renowned brands includes  Aperol, Appleton Estate, Bulldog Gin, Campari, Cinzano, Forty Creek, Grand Marnier, Glen Grant, SKYY Vodka, Espolòn Tequila and Wild Turkey.

For more information: http://www.camparigroup.com/en.
Please enjoy our brands responsibly.

About Campari Group:

Campari Group is a major player in the global spirits industry, with a portfolio of over 50 premium and super premium brands, spreading across Global, Regional and Local priorities. Global Priorities, the Group’s key focus, include Aperol, Appleton Estate, Campari, SKYY, Wild Turkey and Grand Marnier. The Group was founded in 1860 and today is the sixth-largest player worldwide in the premium spirits industry. It has a global distribution reach, trading in over 190 nations around the world with leading positions in Europe and the Americas. The Group’s growth strategy aims to combine organic growth through strong brand-building and external growth via selective acquisitions of brands and businesses.

Headquartered in Milan, Italy, Campari Group owns 21 plants worldwide and has its own distribution network in 21 countries. The Group employs approximately 4,000 people. The shares of the parent company Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A. (Reuters CPRI.MI – Bloomberg CPR IM) have been listed on the Italian Stock Exchange since 2001.

For more information: www.camparigroup.com/en.
Please enjoy our brands responsibly.

About the Bartenders Benevolent Fund:

Created in 2013, the Bartenders Benevolent Fund is a non-profit financial resource for bartenders, servers and front-of-house support staff working in the hospitality industry in Canada. They provide funding for those who have fallen under serious financial hardship, and their mission is to work in earnest to ensure that those in need can make ends meet. The Bartenders Benevolent Fund’s mandate is to offer support to the hospitality industry, by the hospitality industry: funds are awarded anonymously by local hospitality professionals from each market.

Bartenders Benevolent Fund Founders Jon Gray of Drink Tank, Jon Humphrey of the Drake Properties and Dr. Andrew Toplack of The Toplack Sessions are available for comment.