Hugo cocktail takes aim at Aperol in UK summer of spritz

It is the summer of spritz, and the Hugo is coming for Aperol's crown. British sales figures published by the Guardian this week show the elderflower cocktail enjoying explosive growth, with Campari, Sarti Rosa and limoncello varieties also taking off as the market-leader faces its first serious challenger in years.

The Hugo — a mix of elderflower syrup, prosecco, sparkling water and mint — was born in the mountains of Trentino-Alto Adige in 2005, a regional curiosity that has now crossed the Alps and the Channel. For Tuscany, the drink's rise is more than a bar-room trend: it is a quiet reordering of the aperitivo ritual that anchors the region's hospitality economy.

Prosecco, the Hugo's base, is the essential Italian pour in British bars, but the elderflower variant carries a lighter, more botanical profile that appeals to drinkers seeking something less bitter than Aperol's signature orange. The shift matters in Florence, where the evening aperitivo draws visitors to the city's piazzas and the hillside vineyards of Chianti supply the wine that fills the glasses.