Hugo cocktail takes aim at Aperol in UK's summer of spritz

It is the summer of spritz, and the Hugo elderflower cocktail is snapping at the heels of the market-leader Aperol to become this year's favourite drink in Britain, according to the Guardian. The newspaper reported that British sales figures show explosive growth for the Hugo, with Campari, Sarti Rosa and limoncello varieties also taking off. The drink, a mix of elderflower syrup, prosecco and soda water over ice, has become a staple of the British summer.

For Umbria, the Hugo's rise carries a particular resonance. The region's hills are home to elderflower, which grows wild along the edges of fields and stone walls. The syrup that gives the cocktail its floral, honeyed character is made from the same plant that Umbrian families have long gathered for cordials and tisanes, a quiet tradition of the interior that rarely reaches the world's cocktail bars.

The British market's embrace of elderflower follows a broader pattern of Italian drinks crossing the Channel. Prosecco, the Hugo's base, already dominates the British sparkling wine market, and the spritz format has become a summer ritual. The Guardian's report suggests the Hugo is now challenging Aperol's long-held dominance, a shift that speaks to changing tastes among British drinkers.