Celebrate Zinck's Night Across Switzerland

A Legendary Bartender. A Cornell Tradition. A Toast Around the World!

Dear Cornellians,

What do five-cent beers in nineteenth-century Ithaca have to do with a Thursday evening in Switzerland? Theodore Zinck, of course!


Back in the late 1800s, Cornell students gathered at Zinck’s downtown Ithaca bar for good company and a drink. The German-born proprietor became legendary for remembering his customers, even years later, along with what they still owed him!



The original bar is long gone, but the spirit lives on. Each October, Cornellians around the world gather for International Spirit of Zinck’s Night, keeping alive the simple pleasure of getting together and making new connections.



On Thursday, 15 October 2026, let’s bring that spirit to Switzerland!



Join us for a relaxed evening of conversation, Cornell memories, and a toast to friendships old and new. Whether you graduated recently or decades ago, come regularly or have never attended a Club event, you have a place at the table. Coming on your own? This is a lovely opportunity to meet fellow Cornellians nearby.


Find Your Gathering
Basel: Chez Grissoni, Klosterberg 15, 4051 Basel


Zurich: Mövenpick Weinbar, Nüschelerstrasse 1, 8001 Zurich


Geneva: Ruby Claire Bar, Rue de Rhône 46, 1204 Geneva



Date: Thursday, 15 October 2026

Time: 18:00–20:00

Fee: CHF 15.00, including a welcome drink and light refreshments.

Make an evening of it, invite a fellow Cornellian, and help us keep this international tradition thriving in all three Swiss cities.

Register for Zinck’s Night

Please register by Friday, 9 October 2026, so we can plan with our venues.
Curious about the man behind the tradition? Read Cornell’s story about Theodore Zinck.

We would love to raise a glass with you!
Go Big Red!

The Cornell Club of Switzerland