St-Germain’s Hugo Spritz Owns August
- By: Meera Rathod
Low ABV, high style….
From South Tyrol to downtown rooftops, the Hugo Spritz is having a very modern glow-up—thanks to St-Germain elderflower liqueur, which swaps in for syrup to give the classic prosecco-mint-lime highball a silkier, more aromatic finish. Get ready for a night out then memorize the move: St-Germain, prosecco, a splash of soda, fresh mint, and lime over ice. Easy to build, low-ABV, and unmistakably chic.
Born in South Tyrol in the mid-2000s, the Hugo began as a mountain-fresh riff on the spritz built with prosecco, soda, mint, lime, and elderflower syrup. Swap that syrup for St-Germain and you get a more polished, perfumed profile that still feels alpine crisp. St-Germain’s own build is simple: 1½ oz St-Germain, 2 oz dry prosecco, and 2 oz soda water over ice in a wine glass, finished with a bouquet of fresh mint and a lime wheel. Think meadow florals meeting city terrace energy in one easy pour.
The Hugo drinks like summer air. Elderflower brings sheer florals with a pear and honeysuckle lift, prosecco adds bright sparkle, soda keeps it crisp, and fresh mint cools the finish so each sip feels clean rather than sugary. It sits squarely in the rise of lighter, sessionable spritzes that you can sip all afternoon without feeling weighed down. St-Germain’s handpicked elderflowers give the cocktail a luxe, perfumed grace note that reads elevated on the palate even as the overall profile stays refreshing and easy.
The Hugo has a pop-culture halo that stretches from yacht decks in Saint-Tropez to golden hour in your camera roll. St-Germain has fanned the flame with splashy collabs and celeb moments, from influencer yacht days to Sophie Turner toasting on the brand’s London terrace. It photographs like a dream — pale gold bubbles, bright mint, a lime wheel, and that slender stem — and sips even better. With National Spritz Day today, consider this your cue to make the St-Germain Hugo your signature order and your go-to post.
At the bar, ask for a St-Germain Hugo built in a wine glass over ice: 2 oz St-Germain, 3 oz prosecco, 1 oz soda, plus a slapped sprig of mint and a lime wheel. Hosting friends? Batch eight serves in a chilled pitcher with 2 cups St-Germain, 3 cups prosecco, and 1 cup soda, then add ice and garnishes right before pouring. Prefer it lighter? Boost the soda or use a drier prosecco like brut to keep sweetness in check. For garnish, reach for wild mint if you can and keep lime wheels thin for that clean, Euro look. Serve in an oversized wine glass or spritz goblet filled with big cubes so the drink stays crisp to the last sip.
