Summer Spritz You Don’t Want To Miss

Published May 2024

The Aperol Spritz was 2023’s drink of the summer, but its floral cousin, the Hugo Spritz, is poised to take center stage this year.

In 2005, bartender Roland Gruber created the Hugo Spritz at San Zeno Bar in Naturno, a town in northeast Italy bordering Austria. No one really knows why Gruber called it the Hugo Spritz, but we do know that it was his answer to the ever-popular spritz Veneziano, or Aperol Spritz.¹ Although lesser known here in the States than the Aperol Spritz, the Hugo Spritz is an Italian standard that is held in the same regard as its bitter, orange cousin in its home country and across Europe.

The Hugo Spritz’s central element is elderflower liqueur, which is traditionally handmade by locals in the Dolomite region of the Alps where the Hugo was born.² The drink’s creation coincided with the launch of St-Germain, the most widely known elderflower liqueur, in 2007, allowing the cocktail to gain popularity in Austria, Germany and, eventually, the rest of the world.

What is a Hugo Spritz?

A Hugo Spritz is a refreshingly floral spritz, which is typically made with three parts sparkling wine, two parts soda water and one part liqueur or cordial. It is served in a traditional wine glass and made with Prosecco, soda water, elderflower liqueur and mint. A citrus garnish, like a lime or lemon wheel, is usually added as well.

How is a Hugo Spritz similar/different to an Aperol Spritz?

Just like the beloved Aperol Spritz, the Hugo Spritz is made with Prosecco and soda water. However, the Aperol is replaced with elderflower liqueur (usually St-Germain) in the Hugo Spritz. If you love a bubbly drink on a hot day, but don’t care for the bitter flavor profile of Aperol, the Hugo Spritz is likely your ideal drink. The elderflower is sweeter and slightly botanical, bringing out the floral and citrusy notes in the Prosecco. And the uses for elderflower liqueur don’t stop there; see why people refer to it as “the bartender’s ketchup” here. The addition of cooling mint (after smacking the leaves to express the oils) makes this the perfect summer thirst-quencher.

What occasions would you want to serve a Hugo Spritz at?

The Hugo Spritz is a wonderfully drinkable and versatile cocktail. It’s simple and elegant, so we can easily see this one as a signature cocktail at a spring or summer wedding, baby shower or other event. It’s something you can sip all day long, so it’d fit in at a laid-back summer pool party or barbecue, too. Spritzes are also famously food friendly and pair beautifully with whatever’s on your plate.

Now, onto the recipe!

Obsessed with spritzes? We get it. The spritz’s simple formula can be riffed on to make an endless combination of tasty, refreshing cocktails. Keep scrolling for a couple more spritz recipes to try this summer.

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