A Hugo Spritz is a four-ingredient, low-alcohol patio cocktail built from Prosecco, elderflower liqueur, and mint. My version swaps the lime most recipes use for lemon, which is brighter against the floral elderflower liqueur.
What Makes This Different
Lemon does more work here than lime ever would: it's tart enough to cut the elderflower's sweetness without pushing the drink toward margarita territory. Most Hugo Spritz recipes default to lime, but lemon keeps this closer to the lighter, floral spritz that's actually served in Italy, where the cocktail originated.
This is the spritz I reach for when someone at the table typically skips Aperol Spritz for being too bitter: elderflower is floral, not bitter, so it changes their mind.
This elderflower spritz comes together in about 5 minutes with four ingredients and no shaker required. If Prosecco or elderflower liqueur isn't what you have on hand, I've got substitutions in the ingredient notes below.
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What I Learned Making This Recipe
I had my first Hugo Spritz on a mom-daughter trip to Italy in 2022, and it didn't taste like anything I'd find back home. Hugo Spritzes weren't really on anyone's radar in the US yet either. It's a newer cocktail, invented in Italy in 2005, and it hadn't caught on here the way Aperol Spritz had. I couldn't stop thinking about how light and floral it was, so I started rebuilding it in my own kitchen.
Most of the recipes I found online called for lime, but that's not what I remembered drinking in Italy. When I tested it with lemon instead, it clicked: the tartness was softer and the citrus didn't compete with the elderflower the way lime did. That's the version I've made ever since.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
- Prosecco. Look for a bottle with a DOC or DOCG designation on the label, Italy's quality standard for authentic Prosecco. A dry Cava works as a substitute. Skip sweeter sparkling wines like Moscato: they'll tip the whole drink too sweet.
- Elderflower liqueur. This is the floral backbone of the drink. St-Germain is the most recognizable bottle, but Drillaud makes a version at a lower price point that works just as well. Measure it. A little extra pushes the balance off fast.
- Lemon juice. This is the swap that makes the recipe mine. Most versions call for lime, but fresh lemon juice is closer to what I actually drank in Italy: brighter, less sharp, and it doesn't compete with the elderflower the way lime can. Out of lemons? Lime works, too, just expect a sharper citrus edge.
- Sparkling water. Keeps the drink light without diluting the flavor. Plain keeps the balance intact, but a lemon or lime flavored sparkling water works if that's what's in your fridge. Club soda is fine in a pinch, though it carries a slightly saltier flavor than plain sparkling water.
- Mint. Clap the leaves between your hands before adding them to the glass. It bruises the leaf just enough to release the aroma, and you'll notice the difference the second you drop them in.
How To Make It
- Ice & mint: Fill a large wine glass with plenty of ice. Clap the mint between your hands before adding to the glass to release its aroma.
- Pour, top & garnish: Add elderflower liqueur and lemon juice to the glass. Top with Prosecco and sparkling water last so they bubbles hold. Add a lemon slice and extra mint, then serve right away.
Before You Make This
- Chill everything before you start. Cold Prosecco, cold sparkling water, even a cold glass if you have the freezer room. This drink is built straight in the glass, not shaken or stirred for 30 seconds the way a lot of cocktails are, so there's nothing in the process to chill it further. If the ingredients go in warm, the drink stays that way.
- Add the Prosecco and sparkling water last, then give it one gentle stir. Once the bubbles are in, excessive stirring knocks the CO2 out of a carbonated drink. A brief stir at the end combines everything without flattening it.
- Batch it for a crowd, but hold the bubbles until serving. Mix the elderflower liqueur and lemon juice in a pitcher ahead of time and refrigerate. Add the Prosecco and sparkling water right before you pour, or you'll end up with a flat pitcher by the time your second guest arrives.
- Headed to the cabin? Pack the elderflower liqueur, not the wine. It's the one ingredient that isn't easy to replace once you're there. Prosecco and lemons are easy to pick up almost anywhere, so there's no reason to bring a whole bottle of wine along, too.
Serving Suggestions
A Hugo Spritz fits naturally into an aperitivo spread: olives, marcona almonds, a wedge of good cheese, crostini. It's also ideal for a summer brunch, where it reads as bubbly but not too boozy before noon.
For food pairings, I'd reach for my bruschetta with sautéed mushrooms or a platter of grilled mini peppers with goat cheese. And if someone in your group wants something with more bitterness, Lisa's aperol spritz with grapefruit juice is the one to pour instead.
FAQs
You can, but Champagne is usually pricier and more complex. Prosecco is lighter and more in line with the spritz vibe.
A large wine glass works perfectly. You want room for ice, lemon slices, and mint.
Yes! Use elderflower syrup instead of liqueur and swap in non-alcoholic sparkling wine or sparkling water with extra lemon.
More light and refreshing summer drinks
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Recipe
Hugo Spritz with Lemon
Ingredients
- 4 fresh mint leaves (optional)
- 1 ¼ oz elderflower liqueur
- ½ oz fresh lemon juice
- 3 oz Prosecco
- 1 oz sparkling water
- mint leaves and lemon slices, optional garnish
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Instructions
- Gently crush mint leaves in your hand and drop into glass. Fill glass with ice.4 fresh mint leaves
- Add elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, Prosecco and sparkling water to glass.1 ¼ oz elderflower liqueur, ½ oz fresh lemon juice, 3 oz Prosecco, 1 oz sparkling water
- Stir gently to combine. Garnish with a lemon slice and mint. Serve immediately.mint leaves and lemon slices,
Notes
- The Hugo Spritz is traditionally served in a large, goblet-shaped wine glass, but feel free to use whatever glass you prefer.
- There are a variety of substitutions you can make with this drink:
- use Cava or another dry sparkling wine instead of Prosecco (but skip sweet sparklers like Moscato)
- use limes instead of lemons
- use non-alcoholic elderflower syrup instead of elderflower liqueur
- skip the mint entirely
- use club soda instead of sparkling water
- Multiply the recipe to make a batch cocktail. Simply use 1 (750ml) bottle of Prosecco, 10 ounces of elderflower liqueur, 4 ounces of fresh lemon juice and 8 ounces of sparkling water. Combine chilled ingredients in a pitcher with a large handful of mint leaves, stir and pour into ice-filled glasses.
- Want a cocktail with a bit more kick? Add a shot of gin.
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Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
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