Hugo (cocktail)

Hugo
TypeSpritz (cocktail)
Ingredients
Base spiritSparkling wine
Standard drinkwareWine glass (white)
Standard garnishmint leaves
ServedOn the rocks: poured over ice
PreparationStir together over plenty of ice.

The Hugo is an alcoholic aperitif, originating in South Tyrol, but widespread in Triveneto, Austria, Switzerland and Germany, based on prosecco, elderflower liqueur (or lemon balm syrup), sparkling water and mint leaves.

Origins

As reported by the magazines Mixology and Der Spiegel, the Hugo was conceived in 2005 by Naturns bar manager Roland Gruber (aka A.K.) at San Zeno Bar, as an alternative to Spritz Veneziano, and quickly spread beyond the borders of South Tyrol. Initially, the recipe provided for the use of lemon balm syrup. Shortly after its conception, this was replaced with an elderflower liqueur, typically St-Germain.

The name was chosen at random by its creator: initially he chose the name Otto, but he changed his mind because he did not think it was appropriate.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Spritzvarianten des Südens (Teil 1): Der Hugo" (in German). Mixology. 27 August 2011. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  2. ↑ ""Hugo", lo spritz al sambuco" (in Italian). 5 September 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  3. ↑ "Hugos bester Sommer". Der Spiegel (in German). 3 September 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  4. ↑ ""Unser" Hugo-Erfinder: AK aus Naturns" (in German). 18 September 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ↑ Vaculin, Kendra (17 June 2026). "Has the Aperol Spritz Been Dethroned?". NYT Cooking. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
  6. ↑ Deighton, Katie (8 September 2026). "Aperol's Maker Bets Americans Are Ready for a Pinker, Sweeter Spritz". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 18 September 2026.