Alpine Air

The Hugo is the spritz’s alpine cousin — invented in the South Tyrol in the 2000s, which makes it practically a newborn by cocktail standards. Where the Aperol spritz is bitter and sunset-orange, the Hugo is floral, green, and cool: elderflower, mint, prosecco, soda.

How we build it

Elderflower liqueur over ice, prosecco on top, a short breath of soda, a squeeze of lime, and a generous sprig of mint slapped between the palms first — the slap wakes the oils up without bruising the leaf into bitterness. Big glass, big ice, no stirring beyond a single respectful turn.

Why our way is best

The Hugo fails when the elderflower gets heavy-handed and the drink turns to perfume. We pour it short and let the mint and lime do the lifting, so it stays crisp instead of cloying. It’s the lightest thing on our cocktail list and the one we hand to people who claim they don’t like cocktails. They like this one.