‘The Traitors’ Host Alan Cumming Is Offering $15 Off Your Next Negroni Order — Here’s Why

(Photo: Campari Group)

“The Traitors” has returned to television screens with a new season of backstabbing, painstakingly maintained castles and inscrutable Scottish accents. As luck would have it, the show’s premiere coincides with the 14th annual Negroni Week, a celebration of the iconic Italian cocktail running from September 21 through 27.

If you ask us, it’s a match made in bitter-red heaven.

On Monday, Campari announced that it has joined forces with long-time “The Traitors” host Alan Cumming for the latest leg of the company’s Stay Bitter marketing campaign, which spotlights Campari as the essential ingredient in the tried-and-true, three-part Negroni recipe. The Cumming x Campari partnership will span a number of avenues, including a rebate program for anyone who orders a Negroni before the end of the month (more on that later).

The “Cabaret” and “X-Men” star is joined in the campaign by the so-called Bitter Nine, a group of industry veterans from the entertainment, media and hospitality worlds united by their apparent love of all things aperitif. The motley crew includes tastemaker Jalil Johnson, Marie Claire’s Editor-In-Chief Nikki Ogunnaike, chef Jonah Reider, creator Angel Sipilia, Drink Masters judge Julie Reiner and Jimmy Gia Huy, Fabiana Faria and Helena Barquet of Coming Soon NY.

Why the Bitter Nine, you ask? The campaign harkens back to Campari’s “9 out of 10,000” print ads from the 1970s, which — somewhat confusingly — claimed that 9 out of every 10,000 Americans preferred a Negroni made with Campari. A backhanded compliment against the brand, this was not. The ads were intended as a cheeky retort to “9 out of 10 doctors recommend”-esque promotional claims, suggesting that Campari was instead enjoyed by a refined, world-traveled few.

“I’ve always found the things that make people different are usually the most interesting things about them,” Cumming remarked in a news release. “That’s what I love about Stay Bitter. The Negroni has Campari’s bitterness at its heart, and The Bitter Nine is about celebrating the people who aren’t afraid to have a little bite themselves. I’m very happy to count myself among them.”

From now until September 30th, drinkers who order a Campari Negroni can receive up to $15 off, or $7 off a bottle of Campari Liqueur. The submission criteria are pretty straightforward. So long as you live in a participating market in the US (be sure to read the fine print online), you can snap a picture of your receipt, submit it here and receive a rebate via PayPal or Venmo.

Campari is also partnering with Imbibe to support the Slow Food Negroni Week Fund, a global giving initiative dedicated to educational scholarships and community-based projects in the food and beverage industry. Last year, over 15,000 bars and restaurants across 97 countries participated, helping to raise more than $700,000.

“Negroni Week is an important moment for Campari to celebrate the iconic cocktail while continuing our longstanding partnership with Imbibe and our shared commitment to supporting the global hospitality community,” Allison Varone, Head of Marketing at Campari America, added. “This year, we’re proud to build on that partnership through Stay Bitter, bringing people together around the Campari Negroni in support of Slow Food’s Negroni Week Fund.”