{"id":639080,"date":"2026-08-15T18:47:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T18:47:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/639080\/"},"modified":"2026-08-15T18:47:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T18:47:19","slug":"hugo-spritz-is-the-drink-of-the-summer-heres-how-to-make-one-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/639080\/","title":{"rendered":"Hugo Spritz is the drink of the summer \u2013 here\u2019s how to make one \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

What have you been drinking this summer<\/a>? In years past, the fashionable choice seems to have been prosecco, Provence ros\u00e9 or Aperol. This year, however, it seems the Hugo Spritz is our new favourite. <\/p>\n

For those who don\u2019t know, it is a cocktail <\/a>with elderflower liqueur called St-Germain, Prosecco and sparkling water. See below for the recipe. <\/p>\n

\u201cSt-Germain is massive, crossing all age groups <\/a>\u2013 parents, daughters and sons. It has been enjoying incredible growth over the last decade,\u201d says Jimmy Redmond of Redmonds in Ranelagh, Dublin 6. Redmond first heard of it eight or 10 years ago: \u201cA woman rang me asking if I stocked a liqueur called St-Germain. I told her I\u2019d never heard of it but found a bottle for her.\u201d Since then, sales have grown every year, and he sells many bottles. <\/p>\n

St-Germain is a relative newbie on the drinks scene<\/a>, having been invented as recently as the early 2000s. It is made using elderflower petals gathered by hand in the Savoie in France. There must be lots of elderflowers in Savoie as sales of St-Germain, named after the Parisienne neighbourhood of Saint-Germain-des-Pr\u00e9s, have grown exponentially. The liqueur is owned by Bacardi, with a 70cl bottle costing \u20ac49.<\/p>\n

Ois\u00edn Davis of GreatIrishBeverages.com <\/a>is a fan but makes his own elderflower cordial. \u201cAfter first sampling the Hugo Spritz about a decade ago in London, I\u2019ve since enjoyed my fair share,\u201d he says. \u201cThey are best served with a dry prosecco for a more balanced cocktail.\u201d Davis highlights elderflower\u2019s \u201cwonderful versatility<\/a>\u201d in cocktails and mixed drinks, saying it brings \u201ca floral, sweet and sharp bright flavour\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll always make a batch or two of wild Irish elderflower cordial every year and will mix some vodka with it to make an elderflower liqueur,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

Gabriel Cooney of Grapevine in Dalkey, Co Dublin, says the business doesn\u2019t sell \u201cthat many spritzes\u201d, but it nonetheless offers a range.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do three \u2013 Hugo, Aperol and limoncello. Aperol is still the most popular, and its distinctive appearance means it spreads \u2013 once we sell one, we sell a run of them. Is it this year\u2019s thing? I\u2019m not sure; Provence ros\u00e9, on the other hand, we can\u2019t keep it in stock.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you fancy making your own Hugo Spritz, the recipe on the St-Germain website is as follows:<\/p>\n