What's A Hugo Spritz Cocktail And What Does It Taste Like?

Most people are familiar with classic cocktails like a Martini or a Gin and Tonic. However, they're far from the only cocktails out there. One fun cocktail that you can try out is the Hugo Spritz.

The Hugo Spritz cocktail is a tasty alcoholic drink made from prosecco, soda water, and St. Germain. The drink is reminiscent of an Aperol Spritz, thanks to the bitter liqueur and the prosecco, but it has a slightly different flavor. Since St. Germain is an elderflower liqueur, this drink has a floral and herbal taste to it. Plus, Hugo Spritz cocktails are often garnished with mint, adding a slight freshness to the drink's aftertaste.

Hugo Spritz cocktails aren't overly sweet, but they are still delicious, which may just be why the drink recently started trending on TikTok. If you want to jump on the trend and try a Hugo Spritz yourself, here's a bit more about the backstory of this cocktail and how to make one at home.

While many cocktails' histories go back several decades, the Hugo Spritz is actually a pretty recent invention. Back in 2005, a bartender in Italy named Roland Gruber whipped up the first edition of this drink.

Gruber worked in South Tyrol in Italy's stunning Dolomite mountains at the time and he wanted to create an alternative to the already popular Aperol Spritz. So, he put his creative hat on and came up with a similar, yet more refreshing alternative. Like an Aperol Spritz, this drink uses a classic sparkling wine – one of Italy's signature alcohols — as a main ingredient.

As for how the drink got its name, this is most likely thanks to the Hugo boutique hotel. The Hugo is a famous pitstop for weary hikers in Florence, and the property began serving a Hugo Spritz to those who had spent the day out exploring nature. As such, it's thought that the drink got its name because of the hotel that made it popular.

If all this talk about Hugo Spritzes has got you itching to try one for yourself, you're in luck, because this drink is very easy to mix. To begin with, you'll need to find a wine glass and fill it with ice (around four cubes should be sufficient). Then, round up 6 ounces of prosecco, 2 ounces of seltzer water, and one ounce of St. Germain. If you don't have St. Germain on hand, you can use any other elderflower liqueur.

Now, you'll want to start by pouring the St. Germain and the seltzer water into the wine glass. Top the glass off with prosecco, and stir the ingredients to ensure they're well-mixed. If you want to add a fancy touch to this recipe, you can put a few sprigs of mint and a couple of lime slices in there. Just remember to cut the mint into smaller sprigs to help release all the flavor and aroma of the drink, and don't go overboard with the lime — no more than three slices. With that, you're ready to serve this delightful concoction.