Virgin Hugo

A floral, refreshing mocktail inspired by the Hugo Spritz – elderflower syrup, sparkling water, lime, and fresh mint

The Hugo Spritz that inspired this mocktail was created in 2005 by bartender Roland Gruber, known as "AK," at the San Zeno bar in his hometown of Naturns, in the bilingual German- and Italian-speaking South Tyrol province between the Dolomites and the Austrian border. Gruber first named his creation "Otto" before settling on Hugo, building it as a lighter, more floral alternative to the Aperol Spritz and Spritz Veneziano that dominated the region's aperitivo bars. His original recipe combined Prosecco with lemon balm syrup, soda water, mint and a squeeze of lime; when lemon balm grew harder to source, he switched to elderflower syrup, which was more readily available in the Alps, and that swap produced the floral character the drink is now known for. Elderflower had long been used in European folk medicine and kitchens before Gruber's swap -- the flowers of the Sambucus nigra tree, harvested for only a few weeks each spring, carry a delicate honey-and-pear fragrance that syrups and cordials are built to preserve. The Hugo spread quickly through South Tyrol and into Austria and Germany. This Virgin Hugo keeps Gruber's elderflower-syrup formula, replacing the Prosecco with sparkling water for a fully alcohol-free version.