The Hugo

The Hugo

Full of summer seasons flavors, this is a modern classic.   Gin captures the refreshing essence of a sea breeze.

Ingredients:

1 handful/s ice cubes
2 tablespoons Gin
2 tablespoons Elderflower cordial
6 Tablespoons chilled Prosecco
1/4 cup sparkling water
1 strip of lemon zest
1 mint sprig to garnish

Directions:

Place in a cocktail shaker, ice cubes, gin, elderflower cordial, process,  and sparkling water, shake well.  Garnish with lemon zest and mint sprig.  

• 
  
  • CourseDrink
  • Prepare10 mins
  • Cook-
  • Total time10 mins

  Please note, we take every care to ensure the product, allergen and recipe information displayed is correct. However, should a product be unavailable, alternatives may be displayed and/or a substitution provided. If you have an allergy or intolerance, please always check the product label before use.

  Ingredients

  • 1 handful/s ice cubes
  • 25ml Hendrick’s Neptunia Gin
  • 25ml elderflower cordial
  • 100ml chilled Prosecco
  • 50ml sparkling water
  • 1  strip of lemon zest
  • 1  mint sprig to garnish

Hugo Cocktail

Hugo Cocktail

This light, floral and refreshing spritz is a great excuse to drink Prosecco on the rocks. It was created in 2005 by Roland Gruber in South Tyrol, a province in the Italian Alps. He brought the idea with him when he moved to Switzerland, where it became a hugely popular drink.  Makes 1 drink 

Ingredients:
4 oz Prosecco, chilled
1 oz St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
1 oz club soda, chilled
2 lime wheels
Mint sprig
Directions:
Fill a chilled wine glass three quarters full with ice. 

Slowly pour in Prosecco followed by liqueur. Top with club soda. 

Lightly stir and garnish with lime wheels and mint. 

Hugo Spritz Apperitivo

Hugo Spritz

In their book Spritz: Italy’s Most Iconic Aperitivo Cocktail, Talia Baiocchi and Leslie Pariseau draw inspiration from the lighter side of the cocktail spectrum. To deepen their understanding of the Spritz, the authors embarked on a 10-day road trip in a tiny Fiat 500 coupe across northern Italy, from Venice to Milan to Turin.

Traveling along the unofficial “Spritz Trail” of Italy, the authors describe how the Spritz—basically a combination of three parts prosecco, two parts bitter liqueur, such as Aperol or Campari, and one part soda—changes from city to city. “We discovered that the Spritz’s biggest secret is that it really is much more than a recipe or a category of drinks,” they say. “The Spritz is a regional perspective on the aperitif,” signifying a cultural way that certain regions in the north think about aperitifs.

The Hugo Spritz is one such regional signature. In the South Tyrol province of Northern Italy amid the Dolomite mountain range where the cocktail originates, the Hugo Spritz isn’t made with a bitter aperitif but an elderflower cordial often made locally by allowing the flowers and sugar to ferment in the sun instead. Readily available St-Germain elderflower liqueur is used instead in this recipe.

The combination works by presenting an alternative to more popularly known Italian spritzes, like the Aperol Spritz or Campari Spritz, which use bitter red liqueur as their base. By forgoing the bitter element and instead opting for a floral base of elderflower, it allows the natural lemon and citrus notes found typically in prosecco to display more prominently. The mint then takes the task of providing the nose and finish on the drink, which skews cooler and creates the effect of a cleaner tasting spritz than its bitter-based counterparts, with flavors that don't overstay their welcome.

Here's how to mix a Hugo Spritz, a lower-alcohol sparkling cocktail that's refreshing to drink, easy on the palate, and simple to make.

Ingredients

1/2 ounce St-Germain

1 sprig mint

4 ounces prosecco, chilled

1 ounce soda water, chilled

Garnish: 

mint sprig

lemon wheel

Directions:

Add the St. Germain and mint sprig into a wine glass. Gently muddle and let sit for 3 minutes.  

Add ice, the prosecco and the soda water and stir briefly and gently to combine.

Garnish with a mint sprig and a lemon wheel.

Who Invented the Hugo Spritz?

The Hugo Spritz was invented in 2005 by bartender Roland Gruber in the Italian town of Naturno along the Italian-Austrian border. Its popularity quickly spread from its place of origin to neighboring countries of Austria and Germany.  

How To Prepare The Mint:

Strip the lower leaves from the stalk, leaving a neat bouquet at the top. Then, firmly slap the mint on the back of your hand or palm before garnishing; this releases the oils to make the mint more aromatic.  

To keep your mint looking fresh, shock it in an ice water bath before using.

Sparkling Peach Bellini

                                     

Sparkling Peach Bellini

This Italian cocktail will wake up your taste buds with its bright, fruity flavour and add a pop of colour to your brunch spread. Get the peach purée in the fridge ahead of time, so it’s nicely chilled when your guests arrive.
The Peach Bellini originated at Harry's Bar in Venice Italy.
Ingredients:
4 ripe peaches, peeled and pitted (frozen peaches will also work)
4 tbsp (60 mL) lemon juice
4 tbsp (60 mL) Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
1 bottle chilled Prosecco
Fresh mint leaves, optional
Directions:
Slice peaches into chunks and place them in a blender or food
processor. Add lemon juice and simple syrup to the blender and
blend until smooth.

Transfer peach purée to a pitcher or container and refrigerate
for at least 30 minutes to chill.

When ready to serve, take chilled peach purée and pour about
4 tbsp (60 mL) into each Champagne flute or glass. Slowly top
off each glass with chilled Prosecco, then gently stir to combine.
Garnish with a fresh mint leaf, if desired.  Makes 6 drinks

Ruby Red Spritz

 

A mashup of an Aperol spritz and a grapefruit Mimosa, this gently bitter and refreshing aperitivo would be a hit at any brunch. If you can find organic grapefruit, these typically smaller fruits are more ideal for garnish. 

Ingredients:
1 oz. Aperol
2 oz strained fresh ruby red grapefruit juice, chilled
3 oz Prosecco, chilled
Ruby red grapefruit wedge

Directions:
Pour Aperol and grapefruit juice into a chilled red wine glass filled three-quarters with ice. Stir 10 seconds. Top with Prosecco, pouring slowly. Stir once. Garnish with grapefruit wedge. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 drink