The Hugo: Northern Italy's Elderflower Spritz Variation
Summer is flirting with us. It’s got a twinkle in its eye and is slyly toying with us with these short glimpses of warmth and relaxation. Summer, quit teasing… I’m ready! Serendipitously, right on the break of summer, I’ve discovered my new favorite summer cocktail… The Hugo. It’s delicate, it’s light, it goes down easy, and it’s got that certain something that makes me feel like I’m right back in Europe again.
The Hugo hails from the crisp, mountainous Trentino-Alto Adige region that directly borders Austria and is home to the absolutely gorgeous Italian Dolomites. (If you haven’t read my post on our dreamy, slow trip exploring the Dolomites, read it here!) I’m obsessed with Trentino-Alto Adige even still to this day. It’s the place of fairytales.
The Hugo cocktail is the bubbly Italian spritz variation that transports me right back to those mountain valley explorations. I promise you that it’ll be one of your favorite Spritz variations from here forward!
How Hugo Came To Be
According to Mixology magazine, The Hugo’s creation came in 2005 in the small town of Naturo, in the Balzano area of Trentino-Alto Adige. There, bartender Roland Gruber created the Spritz alternative I’m currently obsessing over.
Roland can really only answer this question, but where does the name Hugo come from? Truthfully, I have no idea. After weeks of research, I still haven’t gotten a clear answer as to where the “Hugo” name from! Can anybody help me with this?
Back to the drink’s history! Roland worked at San Zeno Wine & Cocktail Bar, where he famously combined Prosecco with lemon balm syrup, a splash of soda water and mint leaves. Shortly after its creation, lemon balm syrup was replaced with elderflower syrup or elderflower liqueur. The elderflower syrup can be a bit tricky to track down, but I found mine on Amazon! This floral, refreshing alternative to the beloved Aperol Spritz took off within months of its creation, spreading to neighboring Austria and surrounding European countries.
The Hugo is a delicate Spritz variation. It’s bubbly, bright, floral and delicate in a way that feels like a cool dip in mountain water. You know what I mean? Maybe that’s why I find myself making all the time these days!
Before we get into it… have you checked out my post on Aperol Spritz's rise to cult status? There I share a brief history on the Spritz cocktail, as well as share some other fun variations on the cocktail. It’s one of my favorite posts for the Roaming Italy project!
The Hugo
The Hugo
1 tbsp elderflower syrup
Prosecco
Soda water
Mint leaves
Slice of lime or lemon
REGION: Trentino Alto Adige
Fill your wine glass with ice.
Pour in 1 tablespoon of elderflower syrup, topped with a dash of soda water and Prosecco. No need for exact measurements here!
Stir your glass gently.
Garnish with mint leaves and a slice of lime. ENJOY!
