Hugo Spritz

Roland Gruber

Aug 3

Hugo Spritz cocktail — Hugo Spritz by Roland Gruber

Here’s a wildly popular toast to this award winning creation. Italy’s northern alpine region is known as the Dolomites, where stunning views of those mountains are best enjoyed with an afternoon aperitif. A seasonal plant in the mint family, called lemon balm (cedronella), grows wild there, and is traditionally infused into a delicious homemade syrup called Melissa cordial.

At the San Zeno wine and cocktail bar in Naturno, a town in the province of South Tyrol, local bartender Roland Gruber was inspired by this regional delicacy. In 2005 he dreamed up an alternative to the ubiquitous Aperol Spritz, using the local flavors of Melissa cordial and mint instead. Of course, his drink needed a name. According to the story, he originally thought to call it the “Otto” spritz, but randomly liked the name Hugo better. Soon after its creation, the popular elderflower liqueur St. Germain made its debut, and became an available and reliable alternative to the original Melissa cordial in the drink, which went on to become incredibly popular across eastern Europe. So here’s to the Hugos, salute!