What does a Hugo Spritz taste like?
A Hugo Spritz tastes floral, minty and fresh: elderflower sweetness, a squeeze of lime and fresh mint, all lightened with prosecco and soda, with no bitterness at all.
Hugo Spritz
elderflower, mint and bubbles
The Hugo is prosecco, elderflower liqueur or syrup, soda water, fresh mint and a little lime. Elderflower tastes like pear, lychee and white flowers all at once, sweet and perfumed. The mint and lime keep that from getting cloying, and the soda makes it long and light. Think of it as the spritz for people who don't like the bitter edge of an Aperol spritz: same bubbles and same patio energy, but soft, green and garden-y instead of orange and bitter.
Where you’ll see it
On summer cocktail lists, patio menus and Italian or Alpine restaurants, served in a big wine glass over ice with mint sprigs and a lime wheel. Most bars use St-Germain for the elderflower.
Order it if you want something light and refreshing but the Aperol spritz is too bitter for you.
Quick questions
- Is a Hugo Spritz sweet?
- A little. Elderflower is naturally sweet and floral, but the lime, mint and soda balance it, so it reads as fresh rather than sugary.
- What's the difference between a Hugo and an Aperol spritz?
- Both use prosecco and soda. The Aperol spritz is bittersweet orange; the Hugo uses elderflower, mint and lime, so it is floral and minty with no bitterness.