Hugo Spritz

For years a white wine spritzer has been my go-to drink for many a summer gathering. They’re light and refreshing plus lower in alcohol making them especially nice to drink for an afternoon party, wedding or round of golf. It’s also a good way to make subpar wine more palatable. I prefer mine made with a dry white wine, seltzer and a lime slice, although some bartenders want to use tonic water or a lemon-lime soda in place of the seltzer. For this reason I always specify seltzer.

Another type of spritz has gained popularity in the last few years – if you read cocktail menus (one of my favorite past times) you’ve probably seen an Aperol Spritz on a menu or two. This type of spritz is more often made with sparkling wine (such as prosecco) and some sort of bitter liqueur. It has spawned many other varieties of spritzes including the Hugo Spritz which I first had at the Minerva Roof Garden atop the Grand Hotel De La Minerve in Rome overlooking the Pantheon. It was the most perfect ending to a fabulous vacation. 

Since studying the Pantheon in college, it’s been one of my favorite buildings. I first saw it in person in 1994 and was thrilled to not only get to see it again this summer, but to stay just around the corner from it, so we visited it many times. Completed by Emperor Hadrian around 126 AD, it’s one of the best preserved of all of Ancient Roman buildings largely because it’s been in continuous use throughout its history.

Architecture lesson over – back to cocktails. The original Hugo Spritz was made in 2005 in northern Italy and has become quite popular in Austria, Switzerland and Germany. It was made with prosecco, elderflower syrup and seltzer with mint leaves. The version I had replaced the elderflower syrup with St. Germain, an elderflower liqueur (which is likely easier to procure).

When we got home from Rome, this was the first drink that Ed made for me for Sunday night cocktails (a tradition in our house). It’s easy to make and perfectly refreshing. Good any time of year, but particularly appealing when it’s warm outside. And, for me, a reminder of that amazing rooftop view of Rome.