Hugo Spritz
ClassicProsecco, elderflower, and mint. The low-ABV spritz that overtook Aperol.
Delicate and floral — elderflower's honeyed sweetness up front, cooled by fresh mint and lime, with prosecco's fine bubbles keeping the whole thing light rather than syrupy. No bitterness at all, unlike its Aperol-based cousin.
Ingredients
- 3 oz Prosecco
- 1 oz Elderflower Liqueur
- 4 Mint Leaves
- 1 Lime Wheel
- Soda Water to top
- Mint sprig · optional garnish
- lime wheel · optional garnish
Method
- 1
Fill a large wine glass with cubed ice.
- 2
Add the elderflower liqueur and the mint leaves, pressing them gently to release their aroma.
- 3
Pour in the prosecco, then top with soda water.
- 4
Stir once, briefly, and garnish with a mint sprig and a lime wheel.
The Story
Invented around 2005 by South Tyrolean bartender Roland Gruber, who wanted something lighter than the region's usual spritz, the Hugo swapped bitter aperitivo for elderflower syrup and fresh mint. It spread through Austria and northern Italy before becoming one of the fastest-growing spritzes worldwide, prized as the pale, floral, lower-bitterness alternative to Aperol at exactly the moment low-ABV drinking went mainstream.
Recipe card
The whole recipe in one shareable image.
