This classic Hugo spritz cocktail recipe is light, floral, super refreshing, and absolutely perfect for warm spring days and hot summer nights. It gives a small tweak to the 3-2-1 spritz cocktail ratio for a perfectly balanced beverage without any complex mixology skills.
Having both Italian heritage and a penchant for making drinks at home, I have an affinity for spritz cocktails. The most popular spritz is undoubtedly the vibrant and bitter Aperol spritz, which seems to take over everyone’s social media feeds between the months of May and July. The Hugo spritz (often simply called “the Hugo cocktail”) is the next up-and-comer, only recently rising to star status in the spring and summer of 2023.
However, this bubbly beverage has been on the block since 2005, when it was first mixed up in Northeast Italy (aka the independent province of South Tyrol, aka the home of the picturesque Italian Dolomites mountain range). It’s light, bubbly, and perfect for enjoying any time of year, but particularly refreshing once the weather warms up. Pair this spritz with a fresh bowl of easy pesto pasta or cool and creamy burrata caprese salad and you’re ready to live your best life, Italian style! 🇮🇹
why this hugo spritz recipe works:
🌼 fresh & floral. Boasting a whole ounce of elderflower liqueur, this recipe has a stronger floral flavor than others out there which only use 1/2 ounce.
🤌 layered to perfection. Classic 3-2-1 spritz ratios work, so why mess with a good thing?! This one swaps the liqueur and soda water ratio for a lighter cocktail that still keeps the focus on the elderflower without being overly sweet.
🍋 lemon, not lime. For some reason, everyone seems to think this spritz should be garnished with a lime, but in actuality, the OG version of this cocktail was made with lemon balm syrup. This recipe gives a nod to the history by garnishing with lemon wheels!
🤔 who is Hugo?!
This drink is rumored to have been first mixed by Roland Gruber at Bar Sanzeno as an alternative to other bitter spritz cocktails. It uses elderflower liqueur in place of other aperitifs like Aperol or Campari for a lighter tasting drink. The popularly used Saint Germain liqueur didn’t exist before 2007, so it’s likely that local Italian elderflower liqueurs were the go-to for floral flavor.
In Northern Italy, they make an elderflower liqueur called Fiorente (which is why you might sometimes see this drink called a Fiorente Spritz). As for the name, Hugo, not much is known other than it was alllllmost called the Otto Spritz. I know, anticlimactic. Apparently Otto didn’t stick, and Hugo did, so here we are! 🤷🏻♀️
🛒 ingredients
See the recipe card for the exact quantities.
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🍳 instructions
1: Thinly slice lemon wheels for your garnishes, removing any seeds from the slices.
2: Fill your glasses with ice to quickly give them a chill.
3: Pour in chilled elderflower liqueur.
4: Layer on cold soda water.
5: Top with chilled prosecco (or a little more if you like to eyeball it!).
6: Garnish with a lemon wheel.
7: Gently slap a bouquet of mint in your hand to release the aroma of the oils in the herbs.
8: Garnish with the mint bouquet and serve immediately.
Hint: If your elderflower liqueur is not chilled, be sure to chill it first! Having all your ingredients at the right temperature helps your drink to incorporate better and taste better.
💡tips & tricks for getting it right
🍽️ how to serve your spritz
choose your glass
- wine glass – without ice, the total volume of this cocktail is 5 ounces, so a nicely sized wine glass is the best choice for glassware. Keep in mind if you use one of those trendy goblet or balloon glasses, you might want to increase the serving size of the drink so it doesn’t look dinky in the glass. 🥲
give a good garnish
- lemon wheel & mint -the traditional garnish for a Hugo spritz is a small bouquet of mint and a lemon wheel. You can also use a wedge of lemon if you prefer, though a thinly sliced wheel gives a great wow factor!
- lemon sugar – brush a portion of your glass with simple syrup or lemon juice, then gently press it into a small dish of lemon sugar for a fun and fancy garnished rim.
- dehydrated lemon – you can also garnish with a dehydrated lemon or even a candied lemon wheel if you don’t have fresh lemon on hand!
pair it perfectly
- spritz station – you can also make a DIY spritz station for any party by offering your guests a selection liqueurs along with a bottle of prosecco and some soda water. Set up your station to include a choice of bitter Aperol, a traditional Italian lemon liqueur, and elderflower liqueur, too!
- brunch party – spritzes are perfect for brunch parties because they are lower in ABV than traditional cocktails. This means they’re really great for having fun, but staying level-headed, too. 😉
- Italian-inspired lunch – serve this alongside classic Italian appetizers like herby mozzarella, mini appetizer pizzas, or ricotta and pesto pasta for the perfect alfresco afternoon!
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- chill it out – make sure all ingredients are cold before mixing! This helps the ingredients to incorporate well while also keeping the ice from melting too fast. To quickly chill your liqueur, you can shake it in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- layer correctly – make sure to layer it in order, from liqueur, to soda water, then topping with prosecco. This helps the ingredients to mix as you pour. Of course, you can also stir your cocktails before serving to make sure that everything is combined well.
- not enough floral flavor – you can use up to 1.5 ounces of elderflower liqueur if you prefer a stronger flavor!
♻️ customize your Hugo spritz
- champagne or cava – I won’t tell on you if you use champagne or cava in place of prosecco. Either would work fine if you can’t find a DOC/DOCG bottle of bubbles from Italy.
- rosé – a nice sparkling brut rosé would also complement the floral flavor of this cocktail!
- add more herbs – you can add basil, rosemary, or thyme to the herb bouquet to give your spritz an herbaceous twist! For stronger flavor, you can gently muddle the herbs with the elderflower liqueur before layering in the rest of the ingredients.
🧰 equipment needed & storage tips
🫙 how to store a spritz
Spritzes are best consumed shortly after making them because of the carbonation they contain. If you must store any leftovers, be sure to use a bottle with a stopper. I love using these bottles from Bormioli Rocco because they safely store carbonated beverages (affiliate link). Don’t plan to store it longer than 24 hours, or you risk losing the bubbles.
💬 q+a
Can I make a Hugo spritz without alcohol?
You can totally make an alcohol-free spritz by leaving out the elderflower liqueur and using elderflower simple syrup to make a soda instead. Swap the prosecco for more soda water, or use a non-alcoholic prosecco alternative!
Should I use lime or lemon in my Hugo spritz?
I prefer to use lemon because it looks better and adds a nice aroma and flavor to the spritz, and adds a pop of color too, but if you only have limes, you can use those.
What’s the best prosecco to use in a Hugo spritz?
For the best quality spritz, stick to prosecco that is guaranteed to come from the correct region of Italy that regulates production of prosecco. Look for labels that say ‘DOC” or “DOCG” for the highest quality bubbles.
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Classic Hugo Spritz Cocktail (Elderflower Spritz Cocktail)
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Equipment
- 1 wine glass
- 1 measuring beaker or jigger, for accurate pours
- 1 straw
- 1 cutting board and pairing knife for cutting lemons
- 1 cocktail spoon optional, for stirring
Ingredients
- 1 ounce elderflower liqueur chilled, such as Saint Germain
- 2 ounces plain seltzer water chilled
- 3 ounces prosecco chilled, DOC or DOCG quality
- lemon wheel for garnish
- fresh mint for garnish
- ice cubes large cubes preferred
Instructions
- Prep lemon garnish. Slice a thin wheel of lemon for garnish, removing any seeds.lemon wheel
- Chill glass. Fill a wine glass with ice to chill.ice cubes
- Add liqueur. Pour 1 ounce of chilled elderflower liqueur into the glass.1 ounce elderflower liqueur
- Layer soda water. Add 2 ounces of cold soda water.2 ounces plain seltzer water
- Top with prosecco. Top with 3 ounces of chilled prosecco.3 ounces prosecco
- Garnish with lemon. Gently place the lemon wheel in the glass.
- Express mint. Lightly slap the mint sprig between your palms to release the oils.fresh mint
- Garnish and serve. Garnish with the mint sprig and serve immediately.
Notes
troubleshooting tips
- chill it out – make sure all ingredients are cold before mixing! This helps the ingredients to incorporate well while also keeping the ice from melting too fast. To quickly chill your liqueur, you can shake it in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- layer correctly – make sure to layer it in order, from liqueur, to soda water, then topping with prosecco. This helps the ingredients to mix as you pour. Of course, you can also stir your cocktails before serving to make sure that everything is combined well.
- not enough floral flavor – you can use up to 1.5 ounces of elderflower liqueur if you prefer a stronger flavor!
Nutrition Information
The information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition facts calculator and actual nutrition facts may vary.
