Themed "Contrast & Synchrony", the 2026 edition invites bartenders across APAC to step into the spotlight where opposites meet and harmony begins — and to compete for the title of Campari Red Hands APAC Champion.

HONG KONG, June 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- An icon born out of red passion, Campari – the flagship brand of its namesake group and the heart of the beloved Negroni – returns with Campari Red Hands APAC 2026, the regional bartending competition that unites and inspires the bartending community across Asia-Pacific. This year, individual bartenders from each market will go head-to-head for the prestigious title of Campari Red Hands APAC Champion 2026, with an all-expenses-paid trip to Milan on the line for the Regional Grand Final.

Now in its most thematic edition to date, the 2026 programme launches under a single, provocative theme: "Contrast & Synchrony." Every entrant must choose a creative direction — Contrast, the bold opposites that captivate (black vs. white, hot vs. cold, soft vs. hard) — or Synchrony, the perfect harmony that mesmerises (pairs that move in unity, elements that flow seamlessly). That choice will guide their cocktail, their technique and the story they tell on stage, exploring the very dynamic that has kept the Negroni timeless for more than a century.

The campaign is now open for submissions at www.campariacademy.com/en-asia/events/campari-red-hands-apac-2026/.

Campari Red Hands 2026

A PLACE ON THE NEGRONI FAMILY TREE

Beyond cash prizes and a trip to Milan, Campari Red Hands offers something rarer. The 2026 APAC Champion will not only be crowned at the Regional Grand Final in Milan in January 2027 and awarded a cash prize of €3,000, their winning cocktail will be added to the "Negroni Family Tree" for 2027, taking its place beside the Americano, the Boulevardier and the Sbagliato in the lineage of a serve that has shaped cocktail culture for more than a century.

For the bartenders of Asia-Pacific, the prize is not simply a title, it is a permanent mark on cocktail history.

MORE THAN A COMPETITION: THE CAMPARI ACADEMY JOURNEY

Campari Red Hands unfolds over the better part of a year, with depth few cocktail competitions match. Behind the public-facing rounds sits the Campari Academy, the brand's global education platform for the bar industry and the engine that turns a competition into a master class. From local qualifications through to the Milan finals, entrants are judged, mentored and brought into the orbit of the Campari Group's regional advocacy team, Campari Academy coordinators, local brand ambassadors and senior industry experts.

The 2026 format runs across four stages:

・Round 1 – Local Entry Qualification: a 90-second video submission and written cocktail story, presenting an original creation inspired by the Negroni Family Tree and built on either Contrast or Synchrony.
・Round 2 – A Touch of Local Authenticity, Cocktail Menu Showcase: shortlisted bartenders bring their drinks to life on a public-facing menu, inviting consumers to taste the theme — scored across story, taste, design, presentation and audience impact.
・Round 3 – Local Market Finals: finalists take to the stage in their home market, where one bartender is crowned the market's 2026 Campari Red Hands Champion.
・Regional Grand Final – Milan, January 2027: market champions travel to Milan for the Semifinals and Grand Final, where the APAC Champion is crowned.

Every entry must include a minimum of 25ml of Campari, with other base spirits preferably drawn from the Campari Group portfolio. Every local finalist — not only the winner — is welcomed into the Campari Red Hands Community, an ongoing programme of gifting, regional events, guest shifts and creative exchange that extends long after the trophies are handed out.

THE BARTENDERS SHAPING THE NEGRONI'S FUTURE

The 2026 edition gathers individual bartenders from the following APAC markets — Mainland China, Hong Kong & Macau, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam — each competing not just for a national title, but for the chance to leave a permanent imprint on the Negroni's lineage. The competition has grown year on year since its 2024 revival, and 2026 is on track to be the largest edition yet by participation depth, with a target of more than 1,150 bartenders entering across the region.

Returning to the programme as a guest judge at select Local Finals across the region is  Supawit "Palm" Muttarattana, founder of Dry Wave Cocktail Studio (No. 5, Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025) and a former Campari Bartender Competition Asia winner. Palm's journey — from Red Hands entrant to one of Asia's most recognised bartenders — is the kind of trajectory the programme is built to create.

THE ORIGIN OF RED HANDS

Unmistakably striking with a red hue that transforms every cocktail in appearance and flavour, Red Hands is a term for bartenders who demonstrate creative flair using Campari as the hero ingredient. Originally launched in 2018 as the Campari Bartender Competition Asia, the program ran for two years, bringing together masters of mixology to push creative boundaries.

Revived in 2024 as Campari Red Hands Asia, the competition returned to the APAC region, uniting the region's best bartenders under the Red Hands banner for the first time. In 2025, the competition raised the bar further with the theme "Cocktail & Senses," inviting bartenders to explore all five senses — sight, smell, taste, touch and sound — in their cocktail making. Now in 2026, the competition returns with a bold new creative challenge, placing the bartender  and their imagination at the centre.

HOW TO ENTER

Campari Red Hands APAC 2026 is now open for submissions. Bartenders from each participating markets can enter Round 1 by submitting their video and written cocktail story at www.campariacademy.com/en-asia/events/campari-red-hands-apac-2026/. Full terms and conditions are available on the Campari Academy website.

FAST FACTS

ABOUT CAMPARI

Campari is a contemporary and charismatic classic. The secret recipe, which has remained unchanged, originated in Novara in 1860 and is the base for some of the most famous cocktails around the world. Campari is an alcoholic spirit obtained from the infusion of bitter herbs, aromatic plants and fruit in alcohol and water. With its vibrant red colour, intense aroma and inspiring flavour, Campari has always been a symbol of intrigue and pleasure, which unfurls itself into a captivating drinking experience. These are the values that have made the Campari brand famous throughout the world as an icon of passionate Italian style and excellence.

ABOUT NEGRONI

It was around the year 1919 in Florence when Count Camillo Negroni contemplated ordering an Americano cocktail but decided it was time for a change. He requested it with a touch of gin instead of soda, inspired by his last trip to London and its prevalent gin scene. The bartender was pleased to honour Count Camillo Negroni's request and added an orange garnish rather than the lemon wedge of the Americano to signify the new drink he had created. In Florence, the Count's 'usual' became known as Count Negroni's Americano, or the "Americano with a touch of gin", but whatever it was referred to as back then, the Negroni was born.

The Negroni is now one of the most famous contemporary classic cocktails. Anywhere you go in the world, you will find a mixologist who can make you the iconic Negroni. The original recipe — the perfectly balanced combination of equal parts of Campari, Red Vermouth and London Dry gin — is over a century old and continues to be enjoyed today. The International Bartenders Association (IBA) lists Campari as an official ingredient of the Negroni, and thus, there is no Negroni without Campari. For more information, visit www.campari.com.

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