Master the Hugo Spritz: 5 Simple Ingredients, 1 Easy Recipe

Already an Italian classic—the hugo spritz cocktail is one of our favorite contemporary cocktail trends. While the aperol spritz carries a dry, bitter depth, the hugo spritz offers light, floral ease.

This spritz is remarkably popular for such a young recipe, now in its mid-twenties. It hails from North Italy, where the popular cocktail first added Elderflower liqueur (like St. Germaine) to touches of mint, lime, and low-ABV prosecco. The result is a delicious and yet delicate combination of bubbly sweetness.

Its flavors gain traction with gatherings on rooftops, at pools, beaches, and resorts whenever the weather is warm and spring nights call parties together. 

Here, you’ll explore the definition, ingredients, and key steps to make the perfect hugo spritz cocktail recipe. Get tips on batch preparations and good professional advice on presentation and bar inventory management.

Key Takeaways: The hugo spritz, invented in the 2000s, often replaces elderflower syrup (known as “hugo”) with St-Germain liqueur and gains popularity as a spring and summer drink with its low-profile ABV.

What is a Hugo Spritz?

It’s reported that in 2000s Italy, Roland Gruber dreamt up a lighter, happier alternative to the Aperol spritz—at that time the dominant aperitivo in the culture.

“Hugo” is simply the name of the elderflower syrup initially used to flavor the prosecco drink he created. Today, most recipes call for St-Germain liqueur. Even as a mocktail, the spritz’ elderflower flavors spark enjoyment and ease social engagements. 

In flavor, the hugo spritz is sweeter than aperol, but no less interesting. This unique cocktail combines effervescent prosecco with lime and mint as well, offering more complexity to the drinking experience. 

Hugo Spritz Ingredients

The core components of the modern hugo spritz have followed a relatively stable pattern, aside from a few twists and intentional variations at hotel banquets and bar openings:

• Prosecco. Use 3 to 4 oz. of prosecco or any other light sparkling wine (similar to sake cocktails) as the base ingredient. 
• St-Germain. Add 1 to 2 oz. of St-Germain or a creative, in-house elderberry infusion or non-alcoholic syrup. 
• Sparkling water. An additional 1 or 2 oz. of sparkling water helps to lighten the cocktail and promote bubbling.
• Muddled mint. Garnished with mint and flavored with a muddled aroma, the cocktail gains depth and complexity.
• Lime slices. The final lime wedge or slice gives the drink an even higher note of crisp clarity. 

How to Make a Hugo Spritz

Follow these simple steps to create the perfect, lightweight, and easy going hugo spritz this summer season. 

1. Chill. Begin the process by chilling your wine or round stemless glasses to preserve bubbles as you pour and create your cocktail. 
2. Muddle. While your glassware is cooling, gently crush mint into the elderflower liqueur to get juices flowing and aromas building.
3. Stir. Gently and slowly pour your prosecco, ice, and sparkling water over this muddled concoction of liqueur or syrup.
4. Garnish. Spruce up the glass with a sprig of mint cocktail garnish and a slice of lime for that picture-perfect, crisp and clear cocktail.

To prepare this recipe for larger groups or your next banquet beverage menu, it’s a good idea to measure out 1 cup of sparkling water and 2 cups of St-Germain for every bottle of prosecco. 

BinWise Inventory for Cocktail Bars

Managing cocktail ingredients—like prosecco and St-Germain in the hugo spritz—often demands precision while bars and restaurants compete in crowded spaces for customer loyalty and profitable margins. 

BinWise Pro helps bar managers and restaurateurs through automated inventory counts that cut errors and conserve time. By tracking stock levels in synchronization with POS systems as items are sold, ordered, and stored. 

Automations and triggered alerts or reordering helps bar and beverage management maintain optimal inventory levels. These functions also help them predict and analyze which cocktails (such as the aperol vs. hugo spritz) are best for business. 

See how BinWise can streamline counting (with BinScan) and support SproutQR’s instant menu updates. You will minimize waste while raising productivity and revenue. Schedule your custom demo.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hugo Spritz Recipes

Find out how to make the hugo spritz into a tasty mocktail, and how you can keep the drink from going flat at cocktail hour. Get answers to the most common questions about this trendy beverage. 

How do you compare Aperol vs. Hugo Spritz?

While Aperol brings a bitter taste and bright orange hue, the hugo spritz is much sweeter, adding mint to a more floral and light-hearted taste. 

By comparison to the hugo spritz, the aperol spritz can seem intense—although it is still more striking to look at and photograph in its characteristic, layered sunset color. 

Is there a non-alcoholic Hugo Spritz mocktail?

Yes. The first hugo spritz used much less alcohol, using elderflower syrup rather than St-Germain. 

To make a mocktail, swap the prosecco as well with some alcohol-free sparkling wine—or even a sparkling juice blend. The result will delight the crowd—with or without alcohol. 

Are Hugo Spritz cocktails popular around the world?

As a summer “apertif” the hugo spritz is very popular in Northern Italy where the recipe was born. 

But, more and more, cocktail bars in the US, Europe, and beyond are picking up its floral ease and bubbly spirit to entertain large parties who prefer lower-ABV drink recipes.

Can bartenders avoid Hugo Spritz recipes that go flat?

The best approach to keeping the bubbles in prosecco preserved and spritely in cocktails is patience: pour slowly, and avoid over-stirring the drink once you’ve added the prosecco. 

If possible, the recipe can benefit from adding this ingredient last.

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