The Hugo cocktail is one of the most popular summer drinks in Germany. A weak alcoholic drink made with Elderflower, Processco, and Sparking Water, finished off with lime slices and fresh mint leaves. An easy drink to mix, that is even easier to drink and best enjoyed on warm summer evenings.
Hugo Drink - Origin
The drink was said to have been invented in 2005 by bartender Roland Gruber. He first served these bubbly drinks in his cocktail bar in Natura (South Tyrol region in Northern Italy). Gruber is originally from Switzerland, Saanen. However, the first Hugo cocktail was made with lemon balm syrup rather than elderflower syrup. The latter presumably became more popular as it is easier to get hold of than lemon balm. So the original recipe changed.
Why he called the drink "Hugo" is a coincidence. It just sounded better than "Otto" he claimed. [Source: Barfuss.it]
He shares the plight with other creators of recipes that became popular, like the inventor of spaghetti ice cream or the German doner kebab, in that he never patented the name and so never profited from it. Today you can get ready Hugo spritz cocktail mixes in the supermarket in Germany or even by "Hugo" flavored ice cream.
The drink quickly became popular in the German-speaking parts of northern Europe, as it is a refreshing alternative to other bubbly drinks such as Campari spritz, Aperol spritz, or sparking white wine.
What is a Hugo Cocktail made of?
This refreshing summer drink is made of 6 main ingredients.
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- Elderflower syrup or cordial (some use St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur instead),
- Sparkling wine (Sekt in Germany, Prosecco in Italy, Spanish Cava, and champagne in France.) - You can replace the bottle of prosecco with dry white wine if necessary. For a non-alcoholic alternative, you can use alcohol-free prosecco or ginger ale instead.
- Carbonated water (sparkling water in the UK or Seltzers or club soda in the US)
- Fresh lime
- Garden mint
- Ice Cubes
Frequently Asked Questions
The Hugo Spritz drink is usually served in long thin tumbler glasses or large wine glasses. Especially red wine glasses are suitable for this drink as they are a little larger and so offer enough space for all the ingredients.
They also emphasize the "spritzy" nature of this drink.
Hugo is said especially popular amongst women because it is a lightly alcoholic beverage and a sweet, refreshing flavor. However, like most drinks, Hugo is genderless and I know men who enjoy it. Same, as there are women who would prefer a beer and whisky to a cocktail.
No, although this Elderflower cocktail is especially popular in Germany, it was invented by a bartender in South Tyrol, Italy. It presumably was brought back by returning German tourists, who wanted to enjoy this drink at home as well.
To make a non-alcoholic alternative to the classic cocktail, you can simply use non-alcoholic prosecco or replace it with Ginger Ale instead
More German Drink Recipes
Recipe
Hugo - Elderflower Processo Cocktail
Equipment
- 200 ml wine glasses
Ingredients
- 10 cl prosecco can be replaced with dry white wine.
- 5 cl sparkling water seltzer
- 2 cl elderflower syrup elderflower cordial
- 2 ice cubes
- 3 mint leaves
- 2 slice of lime
For a 1.5 l pitcher
- 75 cl prosecco
- 35 cl sparkling water
- 15 cl elder flower syrup
- 15 ice cubes
- mint leaves
- 2 limes cut into slices
Instructions
- Squeeze the juice of one lime slice into a glass. Add more lime slices and a couple of ice cubes into the glass.2 slice of lime
- Add the elderflower syrup and then fill the remaining glass with the prosecco, sparking water/seltzers, and mint leaves.2 cl elderflower syrup, 3 mint leaves , 5 cl sparkling water
- Finish off, by rubbing the mint leaves between your fingers to release the flavour. Then add them to the glass. Serve chilled.
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