Hugo
💧A light, fragrant alpine spritz — prosecco lifted by elderflower, sharpened by a squeeze of lime, and finished with fresh mint slapped between your palms. Easier-drinking than an Aperol Spritz and less bitter; the natural summer aperitivo across the South Tyrolean / Austrian / Bavarian belt.
Hugo was invented in 2005 by Roland Gruber at the bar Sanzeno in Naturns, South Tyrol. He wanted a fresher alternative to the Aperol Spritz, which had been dominant in Italian aperitivo culture for decades; his answer was an elderflower-led, less-bitter glass with mint. The drink crossed the Alps fast — by 2010 it was the default summer aperitif across South Tyrol, Austria and southern Germany, and within a few more years it had spread into Scandinavia. Sterzing locals still argue with Naturns about who owns the original.
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AdInstructions
- Fill a large wine glass to the top with ice cubes.
- Add 20 ml elderflower cordial.
- Add 10 ml fresh lime juice.
- Top with 100 ml well-chilled prosecco.
- Finish with a 30 ml splash of soda water.
- Stir once gently — just enough to combine without knocking the bubbles out.
- Slap 4–6 fresh mint leaves between your palms to release the aroma and drop them in.
- Garnish with a lime wedge on the rim.
- The classic Sterzing/Naturns ratio is roughly 5 parts wine to 1 part cordial; adjust to taste — more cordial for a sweeter glass, more soda for a lighter aperitivo.