Hugo cocktail snaps at Aperol's heels in UK summer of spritz

British sales figures show the Hugo elderflower cocktail snapping at the heels of the market-leading Aperol to become this year's favourite summer drink, according to the Guardian. The elderflower-based spritz is enjoying explosive growth, with Campari, Sarti Rosa and limoncello varieties also taking off in the UK market.

The trend marks a notable shift in the global spritz market, long dominated by Aperol, the bright orange Italian apéritif that has become synonymous with summer drinking across Europe. The Guardian reports that the Hugo's rise is part of a broader expansion of spritz variations as British drinkers experiment beyond the classic Aperol recipe.

For Puglia, a region whose economy leans heavily on tourism and hospitality, the changing tastes of northern European visitors carry direct weight. The spritz is a staple of the aperitivo hour in Bari's seafront bars and Salento's summer piazzas, and the rise of alternatives could reshape what bartenders stock and what tourists order.