Sarah Michelle Gellar Reveals Her Favorite Time to Sip a ‘Bitter’ Cocktail (Exclusive)

Sarah Michelle Gellar has never been afraid of a little bite. 

From Buffy Summers’ sharp wit in Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the unapologetic edge of Kathryn Merteuil in Cruel Intentions, the actress and producer, 48, has built a successful career on characters who embrace boldness. It makes sense, then, that her cocktail of choice is the Negroni.

“I like to have one good cocktail at the end of the night,” Gellar shared in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE. “The key to it is that it’s always made correctly, because to make a proper Negroni, you have to have Campari, you have your gin, you have your vermouth, and it’s that simple.”

Gellar, who teamed up with Campari to host the 13th annual Negroni Week, a celebration of the bitter-forward cocktail and the bartending community behind it, went on to say that she loves the classic drink because “you’re always guaranteed to get a good cocktail,” given its simplicity.

“I find that sometimes other cocktails, it’s like it’s up to each bartender how they make it, but this way, you got your Campari, you know you’re good,” she added. 

In partnership with Imbibe Magazine, Negroni Week (Sept. 22 through Sept. 28) has evolved into a global charitable initiative, raising funds for Slow Food, an organization dedicated to preserving biodiversity and equity through food culture in over 160 countries.

To mark the occasion, Campari is launching the Stay Bitter Capsule Collection — a limited-edition crewneck, tote and hat designed to embrace the signature bold edge of a Negroni in everyday life.

For Gellar, who calls herself “a big proponent of eating right and having access to healthy foods,” the campaign’s message hits close to home. “When they called me and said that they were going to do this capsule merchandise and also tie it in with a give back for Slow Food…I thought, ‘Wow, what a great combination,’” she says. “Now I’m shopping, drinking my cocktail — all for a good cause.”

That sense of “bitterness with purpose” is something she sees reflected in her nostalgia-inducing characters. “For Kathryn Merteuil, a Negroni would obviously be her drink of choice. She was a classy girl — probably drinking them too young, but that was definitely her cocktail,” she says with a laugh.

“And Helen [from I Know What You Did Last Summer] is actually the leader of the Stay Bitter Campaign because she’s still pissed that she died. She’s very bitter about that. Very bitter about having to die and very bitter about having to give back her crown.”

Still, Gellar insists that bitterness isn’t a bad word – whether as a character trait or a flavor note. “When you’re talking about bitterness in a drink, you’re talking about a quality ingredient, a flavor profile. Same with food — I’m not a bland food person, I’m not a bland drink person,” said the star.

When asked about the perfect time for a Negroni, she doesn’t hesitate: “The end of the workday. Or when your airplane is delayed — it really helps at the airport bar,” she laughed.

With Negroni Week just beginning, Gellar hopes fans will join her in raising a glass and giving back. “I don’t need an excuse to have a Negroni, but when you’re doing it for charity purposes, I’m doing it for the good,” she noted. 

And while she’s sipping Negronis, she’s also looking ahead. Next spring, Gellar returns to the big screen in Ready or Not: Here I Come, the sequel to the 2019 cult-favorite horror dramedy. Teasing the movie, also starring Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton and Elijah Wood, Gellar added, “We’re very excited about it.”

In the meantime, she’s keeping it simple: a Negroni, made right, at the end of a long day.