Hugo Spritz Cocktail

This summer spritz recipe is a refreshing blend of St-Germain, prosecco, mint, and lime.

Hugo Spritz cocktail
Photo:

Grant Webster

Prep Time:
5 mins
Total Time:
5 mins
Servings:
1
Yield:
1 cocktail

Originally created in 2005 by bartender Roland Gruber, this Italian spritz cocktail recipe is light, refreshing, and perfect for summer. The base is St-Germain, an elderflower liqueur that can be served on its own or as part of an aperitif or cocktail. Fresh mint highlights the floral flavor of the St-Germain and adds a bright note. Finish the drink with bubbly prosecco, sparkling water, and fresh lime. If you don't have limes on hand, sliced lemons make a great substitute.

Prosecco is considered a dry sparkling wine that has sweet flavor notes of green apple, honeysuckle, and pear. It's a great complement to the acidic, bold flavors of lime and mint. Yet, it's delicate enough that you still taste the floral St-Germain. You can substitute Champagne if you have trouble finding it.

If you like spritz cocktails, consider trying an Aperol Spritz made with Aperol and prosecco, or a Hibiscus Rose Spritz made with homemade syrup. Once you've mastered the technique, try creating your own spritz recipe with prosecco, liqueur, and fresh herbs, fruit, or citrus.

Ingredients

  • 1 to 2 sprigs fresh mint

  • 3 to 4 ice cubes

  • 1 tablespoon (1/2 fl oz) elderflower liqueur (such as St-Germain)

  • 1/2 cup (4 fl oz) prosecco, chilled

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons (1/2 to 1 fl oz) sparkling water, chilled

  • 1 slice fresh lime

  • 1 mint sprig (optional)

Directions

  1. pressing mint in palm of hand for making hugo spritz cocktail

    Grant Webster

    Place a sprig of fresh mint in your palm and slap it with your other hand, like a clap, to help release the herb's oils. You can also use a muddler in the glass to crush the mint.

    Test Kitchen Tip: Crushing or firmly slapping the mint on the back of your hand before adding to the glass helps to release the oil in the mint and adds more flavor to your cocktail.

  2. adding mint and lime to glass

    Grant Webster

    Add the mint sprig and lime to a 10 to 12 ounce glass.

  3. adding Prosecco to Hugo Spritz cocktail

    Grant Webster

    Top with ice, St-Germain, Prosecco, and sparkling water. Garnish with an additional mint sprig and more lime slices, if desired.

    Test Kitchen Tip: To keep your mint looking fresh, store it in a jar filled halfway up with water, like you would fresh cut flowers.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is a spritz?

    A spritz is a wine-based cocktail often made with sparkling wine (like prosecco), a bitter liqueur (like Aperol or Campari), and soda water. A spritz often contains garnishes like fresh herbs or sliced citrus fruit.

  • What kind of alcohol is St-Germain?

    St-Germain is a French liqueur made with elderflowers. According to the makers of St-Germain, there are 1,000 elderflower blooms in every bottle.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

198 Calories
0g Fat
26g Carbs
1g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 1
Calories 197.6
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0.4g 0%
Saturated Fat 0.1g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 16.3mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 25.8g 9%
Dietary Fiber 4.1g 15%
Total Sugars 10.1g
Protein 1.2g
Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
Vitamin C 39.8mg 199%
Calcium 71.8mg 6%
Iron 1.8mg 10%
Potassium 251.5mg 5%
Fatty acids, total trans 0g
Vitamin D 0IU
Alanine 0g
Arginine 0g
Ash 0.9g
Aspartic acid 0g
Caffeine 4.5mg
Carotene, alpha 0mcg
Choline, total 12mg
Copper, Cu 0.1mg
Cystine 0g
Energy 826.2kJ
Fluoride, F 322.9mcg
Folate, total 17.9mcg
Glutamic acid 0g
Glycine 0g
Histidine 0g
Isoleucine 0g
Leucine 0g
Lysine 0g
Methionine 0g
Magnesium, Mg 25mg
Manganese, Mn 0.2mg
Niacin 0.5mg
Phosphorus, P 49.8mg
Pantothenic acid 0.4mg
Phenylalanine 0g
Phytosterols 0.6mg
Proline 0g
Retinol 0mcg
Selenium, Se 0.7mcg
Serine 0g
Theobromine 0mg
Threonine 0g
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.3mg
Tryptophan 0g
Tyrosine 0g
Valine 0g
Vitamin A, IU 298.1IU
Vitamin A, RAE 14.3mcg
Vitamin B-12 0mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.1mg
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 1.3mcg
Water 358.8g
Zinc, Zn 0.4mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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