Hugo Spritz

Both are used and they give different drinks. Syrup keeps the alcohol low and the sweetness high, so cut it to 20 ml. Liqueur at around 20 percent, usually St-Germain, adds weight and a honeyed edge. Thirty milliliters of liqueur is the build most bars pour.

No. Crushing it releases chlorophyll, the drink turns grassy and faintly bitter, and there's no citrus acidity here to cover the damage. Clap the sprig once between your palms to wake the oils, then stand it in the glass where your nose meets it as you drink.

Easily, and it survives the swap better than most. Elderflower syrup, sparkling water and a splash of white grape juice or alcohol-free sparkling wine covers it. Mint and lime do the rest, since the original was never leaning on the prosecco for flavor in the first place.

There's no bitterness in it at all. An Aperol Spritz is built on an orange bitter at 11 percent; the Hugo replaces that with elderflower, so you get flowers and mint instead of the rhubarb-and-orange bite. It's the spritz to pour for someone who says amaro isn't for them.

A classic Hugo Spritz calls for 30 ml (1 oz) Elderflower liqueur, 90 ml (3 oz) Prosecco, 30 ml (1 oz) Soda water. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

A Hugo Spritz is built directly in the glass over ice — no shaker required. Add the ingredients in order and give it a brief, gentle stir.

Serve a Hugo Spritz in a large wine glass, over fresh ice cubes.