The Celebrate Her Fernet-Branca coin competition is officially open, inviting anyone in the hospitality industry to design a limited-edition bartender coin that will be produced in a run of approximately 100. Entries opened on October 16 and close on Friday, November 27, 2026, with the winning design and its creator revealed at Celebrate Her’s annual International Women’s Day event in March 2027.
A New Chapter for the Fernet Handshake
The Fernet-Branca coin needs little introduction behind the bar. Rooted in the tradition of the Fernet handshake and inspired by challenge coin culture, the coins are exchanged, collected, and carried between bartenders around the world.
The Celebrate Her edition builds on that ritual while giving it a new purpose: celebrating the people who open doors, share knowledge, and champion those around them. It also continues a relationship that stretches back to the community’s very first event, which Fernet-Branca sponsored at Artesian in 2019.
The Brief and How It Works
Entrants are asked to create a design that feels meaningful, collectible, and rooted in hospitality culture, bringing together the shared identities of Celebrate Her and Fernet-Branca and reflecting what the community stands for: connection, community, recognition, and opportunity. Both hand-drawn and digital designs are accepted, and the competition is open to anyone working in the industry.
In December, an advisory panel drawn from Celebrate Her and Fernet-Branca will shortlist five concepts before a single winner is announced. The shortlisted designers will be invited to the March event alongside mentors, industry leaders, and emerging talent from the Celebrate Her community, and the coins will be distributed throughout the year.
For the People Who Open Doors
“The Fernet-Branca coin already means so much to bartenders around the world, and this edition is for the people who open doors for others,” said Anna Sebastian, founder of Celebrate Her. “It felt right that our community should be the ones to design it, and we can’t wait to see what they create.”
Anastasiia Manmar, UK Brand Manager at Fernet-Branca, called the partnership “an incredible opportunity to champion their community, amplify their voices and shine a light on the inspiring women who are helping shape the future of hospitality in the UK.”
Celebrate Her’s Growing Footprint
Celebrate Her has run as a non-profit since 2019, championing, connecting, and elevating women in hospitality through industry events, panel discussions, mentorship, and collaborative partnerships. The organization published its first global research project, Unlocking Loyalty, with CGA by NIQ and Allara Global, capturing the experiences of nearly 1,000 professionals across 22 regions on themes including career progression, wellbeing, mentorship, and opportunity.
On the other side of the partnership stands Fratelli Branca Distillerie, the Milan company founded in 1845 whose portfolio spans Fernet-Branca, Brancamenta, Carpano, Antica Formula, and Punt e Mes, with products marketed in around 160 countries.
How to Enter
Submissions are open now through November 27, 2026. Entrants should submit an original coin design, hand-drawn or digital, via the entry form, with updates posted on Instagram at @celebrate___her.
