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The “Hugo” Is the 4-Ingredient Cocktail I Can’t Stop Making (It’s So Light and Refreshing!)

Lindsay Funston
Lindsay FunstonEditor-in-Chief at The Kitchn
I'm the Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. I lead content across the site and write about my favorite cooking secrets and our recipes definitely worth trying. Before joining the best team ever, I was the Executive Editor of Delish, where I mastered the cheese pull. I live in Portland, Oregon, with my husband, toddler, and doodle.
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published Jun 7, 2024
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a semi wide shot of 3 glass cups of hugo cocktail with limes and mint in each that's on rustic sandy colored surface; a pour comes from above into the cup closest to the camera
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Credit: Photo: Lucy Schaffer; Food Styling: James Park

One of the things I look forward to the most at the end of a long week is deciding what I’m going to be drinking on Friday night. Okay, that likely makes it sound like I drink more than I do. Some nights the answer is my third can of seltzer for the day (I know, I know — it’s a diehard habit), on others it might be a glass of dry Lambrusco wine, and on the evenings I’m feeling a little more adventurous, I enjoy mixing up a fun cocktail. 

I’m typically a martini person (gin and a lemon twist, please!), but I like it all. As a fan of pretty much every Italian cocktail (especially the Aperol spritz!), when I was first introduced to the Hugo, I knew I’d be all over it: It has mint (doesn’t get more refreshing for a summer drink), elderflower cordial (and you can swap in St Germain, which I weirdly always have around), Prosecco, and club soda. It’s super bubbly and easy to sip — and couldn’t be easier to throw together, as it’s only four ingredients. (Fine, five if you’re counting the lime slice for garnish.) 

Get the recipe: Hugo Cocktail

What Makes the Hugo Cocktail So Good?

The Hugo is also a nice low-ABV cocktail. I often want something to sip that’s not too boozy, especially when I’m tired after a long day, and this totally satisfies that. It’s nice and light, which also makes it a solid pick for a summer daytime hang at the park or a picnic. The only drawback — and drawback is a stretch here, if we’re being honest — to making the Hugo is that it does require popping a whole bottle of bubbly, so you’ll want to make sure you have friends to share it with so you can use it all up. Cheers! 

Get the recipe: Hugo Cocktail

This post originally ran on The Kitchn. See it there: The “Hugo” Is the 4-Ingredient Cocktail I Can’t Stop Making (It’s So Light and Refreshing!)