Summer Cocktail: Hugo Spritz

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The unofficial start to summer has arrived, and it’s time to polish up your cocktail-making skills! I recently made a delicious cocktail called the Hugo Spritz, or The Hugo.

It isn’t new but I had never tried it before. It is so light and refreshing. The Hugo Spritz was invented in 2005 in Northern Italy as an alternative to the Aperol Spritz. Which, if you haven’t had one of those, are DELICIOUS. I wrote a whole blog post a few years ago dedicated to the Aperol Spritz.

It’s hard to keep up with what is in and what is out, but the latest info is that an Aperol Spritz is out, and the Hugo Spritz is in. I also heard that espresso martinis are out, and dirty martinis are in. That is great news for me because a dirty martini is my drink of choice and always has been. :)

The Hugo Spritz is a lovely mixture of elderflower water, prosecco or sparkling wine, soda water, lime, and mint.

I had never tried elderflower water before, but I think it would be delicious just by itself over ice. In reading about the elderflower, I was surprised to learn about all of the health benefits.

Studies have shown it to be antiseptic, antiviral, and to also have anti-inflammatory properties. The flowers are known for their high antioxidant content and Vitamin C, which is great for boosting the immune system.

The favorite elderflower liqueur of choice for this drink is made by St. Germain, a French liqueur made with fresh elderflowers that are hand-picked once a year in the spring.

Every bottle of St. Germain contains up to 1,000 elderflower blossoms. And the bottle is SO BEAUTIFUL. I saw other brands of elderflower liqueur at the liquor store, but none of them could hold a candle to this bottle. I’m a sucker for packaging. :)

Each bottle is numbered, and the last two digits indicate the year it was bottled.

The flavor of St. Germain is a combination of peach, pear, citrus, and honeysuckle. The golden color comes from the pollen and is natural. There are no artificial flavors or colors.

Summer in a bottle. :)

So on to the recipe. This is a very easy drink to make.

First, you fill a glass half full with ice. I used crushed ice and an old-fashioned glass rather than a wine glass. I chose a heavier glass because you have to muddle the lime and mint with the ice, and wine glasses can be a bit fragile for that.

I used one slice of lime and a few mint leaves. You can adjust to your preference. I used a wooden tart tamper to muddle the ingredients with the ice.

Then you add an ounce of the elderflower liqueur. Then five ounces of prosecco or sparkling wine. I don’t like prosecco, so I used the sparkling wine. Then top it off with a splash of soda water or sparkling water. Garnish with lime and mint, and you are good to go!

So here’s the recipe so you can get right to making your own: