Hugo Spritz Recipe: How to Make the It-Girl Cocktail of the Summer, the Hugo Spritz
Have you tried a Hugo Spritz yet?! If not, you’re in for a treat! The hugo spritz (sometimes known as a St. Germain spritz) is a popular drink in Europe, but like most things, it took a while to make its way to the United States. In the summer of 2023, the Hugo Spritz really started to gain popularity, particularly on social media platforms like TikTok.
If you aren’t a fan of aperol spritz, this is a great alternative. It’s also (in my opinion) a lighter and more refreshing drink, although I am an aperol lover through and through. My friends best described the taste of this as “a mojito made with champagne” and I’d say that’s fairly accurate!
If you want to try the “it girl” cocktail of summer 2024, then you’re in the right spot!
Hugo Spritz Ingredients:
Champagne - Prosecco or any sparkling white
St Germain or any elderflower liqueuR
SODA WATER, CLUB SODA, OR SPARKLING SELTZER
FRESH MINT LEAVES
CITRUS OF YOUR CHOICE - LEMON OR LIME
SIMPLE SYRUP - OPTIONAL FOR MUDDLING MINT
SAN PELLEGRINO LIMONATA - OPTIONAL ADD-ON
How to make a Hugo Spritz:
Muddle fresh mint with simple syrup and lemon juice
This step is honestly optional! Most hugo spritz recipes just have you using mint for garnish, or rubbing it together in your hands first to release the aroma. But personally, I think muddling mint beforehand really helps the flavor, and if you have the ingredients on hand, you might as well give it a try! If you don’t have simple syrup, that’s okay. This adds a little bit of sweetness, but isn’t really necessary for the drink. You can use lemon juice by itself, or even just a little bit of water to muddle the mint. You’ll know it’s ready to go when the mint leaves become more fragrant, and they’ll likely be a darker green hue.
If you have a fragile glass, muddle the mint in a separate bowl and then add it to your glass when it’s ready. If you don’t have a muddling tool, you can use a spoon instead. Again, just be careful not to break your glass!
ADD THE MUDDLED MINT AND FILL YOUR GLASS WITH ICE BEFORE POURING IN THE CHAMPAGNE, LETTING IT FIZZ TO THE VERY TOP OF YOUR GLASS
Prosecco is the traditional type of champagne that is used in most spritz recipes! But really, you can use any champagne or sparkling white wine that you like, you may just need to mak some modifications to get it to the desired level of sweetness. While I do like Prosecco just fine, normally I go for a drier champagne like a brut and it’s what I had on hand.
After you add your muddled mint and fill your glass up with ice, pour in your champagne. One trick that I learned is to keep pouring until the champagne fizzes all the way to the top, this will give you the perfect amount!
Add in St. Germain or any elderflower liqueUr
This is what will really give your spritz its flavor! You can use St. Germain, or any Elderflower flavored liqueur. A typical recipe calls for anywhere from 0.5oz - 2oz, so you can adjust the amount per your taste. I normally add around 1oz, sometimes a little bit more!
Top with soda water
Top your drink off with soda water - I love San Pellegrino for spritzes. If you don’t have San Pellegrino, you can use club soda, or any sparkling seltzer. Give it a good stir and make sure you leave room for garnish and a little more champagne if desired.
Optional: Add in A SPLASH OF San Pellegrino Limonata
One of my favorite secret (or not so secret now) ingredients that I like to add to my spritz recipes is the flavored San Pellegrino! The orange is great for an Aperol Spritz, while the limonata flavor works well in a Hugo Spritz. This just adds more of that delicious lemon-y flavor, and a little bit of sweetness. I like to keep this on hand, just in case I don’t have fresh citrus / citrus juice on hand. You can substitute this in place of the lemon juice
Garnish with a lemon slice & A Sprig of mint
After you give your drink a good stir, garnish with a slice of lemon and some more mint if desired! You can also use lime in place of lemon, if you’d prefer. Cheers! Enjoy your delicious Hugo Spritz from the comfort of your own home!