Ingredients
-
15 cl of Prosecco wine
-
2 cl of lemon balm syrup
-
4 leaves mint
-
1 lemon wedge
Directions
The Hugo cocktail is a concentrate of freshness, an irresistible aperitif, but very easy to prepare: fill a glass with Prosecco, add two mint leaves, a drizzle of lemon, some lemon balm syrup and a dash of soda.
It is one of the many variations of the old Spritz, but we don’t want to trivialize this fabulous cocktail by calling it only White Spritz!
To say that every glass of prosecco or white wine and sparkling water is Spritz is a bit too Taliban as an affirmation. So let’s call it Hugo cocktail and not Spritz Hugo and give it thanks for what it is.
The wine has always been flavored (Prosecco, Malvasia, Moscato) with fruit, strawberries, peaches, and berries, but this does not mean that our grandparents said, now I’m mixing a Spritz, bro.
Who invented the Hugo cocktail?
Hugo was born in Alto Adige, from the hands of the bartender Roland Gruber, who has the brilliant intuition of flavoring the classic glass of Prosecco with mint and lemon balm syrup, one of the most fragrant aromatic plants. Not by chance, lemon balm is one of the main ingredients of great liqueurs like Arquebuse and Chartreuse.
Unfortunately, lemon balm melissa syrup is a rare elixir produced only in minimal quantities, so it has been replaced by elderflower syrup. It is always good and very fragrant, but very different aromaticity. Remember that if you want to make a real Hugo cocktail, you have to use lemon balm syrup, not elderflower.
Hugo cocktail ingredients and doses
- 15 cl of Prosecco
- 2 cl of lemon balm syrup
- a splash of soda
- 4 mint leaves
- 1 lemon or lime wedge
How to make the real Hugo cocktail
Cool a goblet/glass, then put the lemon balm syrup and some ice cubes in it.
Pour the wine, add the mint and some soda and stir gently.
If you can’t find the lemon balm syrup, replace it with elderflower syrup. A drop of lime or lemon juice is excellent to make the Hugo less monothematic. Some apple juice is an excellent addition too.
Hugo food pairings
Parmigiana ravioli, spaghetti with clams, chicken tikka masala, Chicken Cacciatore, Vitello Tonnato, truffle risotto, pasta alla carbonara, paella mixta.
Sparkling cocktails you should try
French 75 cocktail, Spritz, Mimosa, Pirlo, Champagne cocktail, Bellini, Rossini, Tintoretto, Pino cocktail, Negroni Sbagliato.
