Hugo Cocktail Recipe

What a Hugo should taste like

A Hugo is a spritz built on elderflower rather than on a bitter liqueur, so it reads floral and crisp instead of bittersweet. Dry sparkling wine and a restrained hand with the elderflower keep it clean; the mint should perfume the drink, never dominate it. South Tyrol is where the drink comes from, built there with elderflower syrup; bars elsewhere often use St-Germain instead.

Hugo measures: liqueur build and syrup build

Elderflower liqueur is about 20% ABV and much sweeter than syrup, so 45 ml gives a boozier, more perfumed drink. Start at 30 ml and add the rest to taste.

Build it in the glass and leave the mint alone

Fill a large wine glass to the top with ice, add the elderflower and lime, then the wine, then the soda. Do not muddle the mint: press it once against the side of the glass, or clap it between your palms, and drop it in last so the leaves stay green. Crushed mint releases chlorophyll and turns the drink bitter within minutes.

How strong is a Hugo?

With elderflower liqueur the build above lands near 10-11% ABV before the ice melts; the syrup version is closer to 7-8%, because syrup adds sugar and flavour but no alcohol. One 165 ml liqueur serve carries roughly 19 ml of pure alcohol and about 150 kcal.

Substitutions that still work

• No prosecco: cava, crémant or dry sekt, but nothing labelled sweet or demi-sec.
• No elderflower liqueur: 15-20 ml of cordial, and cut the soda to 10 ml because cordial is sweeter and has no alcohol.
• No mint: lemon balm, softer and less mentholated.

Hugo FAQ

Is Hugo cocktail the same as Hugo Spritz?

Hugo Spritz is the more precise term, since the drink is a spritz by structure: wine, a flavoured modifier, soda and ice.

Can I make a non-alcoholic Hugo?

Yes. Use elderflower syrup, non-alcoholic sparkling wine, soda, mint and lime, built the same way.

Can I build a Hugo in a jug?

For a party, yes. Combine the elderflower, lime and mint with ice, add the wine and soda at the last moment and stir once.