Hugo: The Alpine Spritz

One of my favourite drinks.

The Palladian Traveler

Here’s a palate-pleasing Italian aperitivo (cocktail) to wrap your hand around that’s already a big hit up in the South Tyrol and a serious rival to the more popular and classic Spritz Veneziano (Venetian Spritz).

It’s called the Spritz Hugo (Ugo in Italian, pronounced OOH-goh). It’s the preferred aperitivo — summer or winter — around the Dolomites. Refreshing and light, the Spritz Hugohas been high-altitude tested by respected baristas.

Germans and Austrians will no doubt disagree, but this aperitivo was created in 2005 by Italian barista Roland Gruber at the San Zeno Wine & Cocktail Bar in Naturno, where German is spoken and Italian understood.

Gruber jump-started the craze by mixing Prosecco sparkling wine, seltzer water, fresh mint leaves and lemon syrup, and casually called his creation the Hugo/Ugo, for no apparent reason.

He later tweaked the recipe, dropping the lemon syrup and adding a syrup…

View original post 315 more words