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Hugo Spritz Mocktail
The Hugo Spritz mocktail is the zero-proof build of the alpine aperitivo invented in 2005 by bartender Roland Gruber in Naturno, a small town in Italy's German-speaking South Tyrol. Gruber's original called for lemon balm syrup; elderflower took over as the drink spread across the Alps, and it remains the backbone here — honeyed and floral where Italy's better-known bitter spritzes cut hard. In this alcohol-free version, dealcoholized sparkling wine supplies the dry, orchard-fruit base, half an ounce of fresh lime pulls the elderflower's sweetness back into line, and a handful of slapped mint drifts over every sip like cold mountain air.
It earns its place at the same moments the original does: aperitivo hour on a warm terrace, the first golden evening of summer, any table where half the guests are drinking and half aren't. One rule matters more than any measurement — never muddle the mint. Crushed leaves turn a drink this delicate vegetal and murky, while a single sharp clap between the palms wakes the oils and leaves the glass clean. And treat the sparkling water as structure, not filler: alcohol-free sparkling wines finish slightly sweeter than a brut prosecco, and that last ounce and a half of plain fizz restores the dry edge a proper spritz is built on.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Total
- 5 min
- Makes
- 1 drink
- Calories
- ~90 per serving
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 fresh mint leaves
- 0.75 oz (22 ml) elderflower syrup or cordial
- 0.5 oz (15 ml) fresh lime juice
- 3 oz (90 ml) chilled non-alcoholic sparkling wine, such as Noughty
- 1.5 oz (45 ml) chilled sparkling water
- Ice cubes, to fill the glass
- Mint sprig, to garnish
- Lime wheel, to garnish
How to make it
- 1
Slap the mint
Clap the mint leaves once between your palms and drop them into a large-bowled wine glass. This wakes the aromatic oils without tearing the leaves into the drink.
- 2
Build over ice
Fill the glass to the rim with ice cubes, then add the elderflower syrup and lime juice.
- 3
Pour the bubbles
Add the chilled alcohol-free sparkling wine, then the sparkling water, pouring down the inside of the glass to preserve the carbonation.
- 4
Stir and garnish
Lift the syrup off the bottom with one slow turn of a bar spoon. Garnish with the mint sprig and lime wheel, and serve immediately.
Bartender’s notes
- Fill the glass completely with ice. A packed glass melts slower than a few lonely cubes, so the spritz stays cold without turning watery.
- Elderflower syrups vary widely in sweetness — cordials usually run lighter than bar syrups like Giffard's. Start at 0.75 oz (22 ml), taste, and correct with lime rather than more syrup.
- Don't skip the sparkling water. Zero-proof sparkling wines finish sweeter than a brut prosecco, and that plain fizz restores the dry, thirst-cutting edge a spritz needs.
- Serve it in a big-bowled wine glass, not a highball; the wide bowl holds the mint and elderflower aromatics right where your nose is.
Variations
- Elderflower tonic Hugo: replace the sparkling wine and soda with 4.5 oz (135 ml) chilled elderflower tonic water for a leaner version with a light quinine edge.
- Rosé Hugo: pour Noughty's alcohol-free sparkling rosé instead of the classic white for a red-berry undertone that flatters the elderflower.
- The 2005 original: Roland Gruber first built the Hugo with lemon balm syrup, not elderflower. If you grow lemon balm, steep a handful in warm simple syrup and swap it in 1:1.
Bottles that make it better
Non-alcoholic brands from our directory that fit this build — each page lists where to find them near you.
Noughty
0.0% ABV
Thomson & Scott’s organic alcohol-free sparkling and still wines — the style-forward 0.0% pour on many top NA bar lists.
Where to find Noughty →Giffard
0.0%
Giffard is a family-owned French liqueur and syrup house founded in 1885 in the Loire Valley, now in its fifth generation of family ownership. Its non-alcoholic Aperitif Bitter syrup is a widely-used substitute for Campari in zero-proof Negronis and Spritzes, built on bitter orange, gentian root, quinquina, and spice. Giffard also produces a Spritz Alcohol Free expression. The non-alcoholic range is positioned as a cocktail-mixer rather than a bottled spirit.
Where to find Giffard →Fre
Less than 0.5% ABV (alcohol-removed)
Trinchero Family Estates’ alcohol-removed wine line — the most widely distributed NA wine in the U.S., spanning Chardonnay, Cabernet, sparkling Brut, and Rosé.
Where to find Fre →Surely
Less than 0.5% ABV (dealcoholized)
California non-alcoholic sparkling wines made from California grapes and dealcoholized — a brut and a rosé in bottles and single-serve cans, with a modern, direct-to-consumer bent.
Where to find Surely →Rather have it made for you?
These verified bars and restaurants pour hugo spritz mocktail-style builds from their own zero-proof menus — no shaker required.
FaceClock Zero-Proof Lounge & Gallery
Olde Kensington
FaceClock Zero-Proof Lounge & Gallery is a fully alcohol-free spot near Philadelphia's Fishtown/Olde Kensington border, billed as the city's first zero-proof lounge. It was founded by Anastasia Farber, a former bartender who used her mixology background to build a place where people could socialize and "not be forced to have a drink in their hand." The roughly 1,100-square-foot space is part Adaptogen Bar, part rotating art gallery (works for sale), part small NA bottleshop, and part event venue hosting poetry slams, movie nights, and art parties. Drinks lean on natural ingredients and adaptogenic blends: the Elderberry Healer (Hatchet Granny, elderberry, lemon, soda, honey, black pepper), house Dandelion Root Tea, build-your-own Adaptogen Spritzes, and slow-simmered Eastern-European kompots. Its tagline: "Zero proof; full expression."
The New Bar
Cow Hollow
The New Bar is San Francisco's dedicated alcohol-free bottle shop and tasting bar, the Cow Hollow outpost of the brand founded by Brianda Gonzalez, who opened the original Los Angeles location in July 2022. The SF store opened in March 2024 on Union Street, in the former home of plant shop The Sill. Everything sold is zero-proof: one wall holds non-alcoholic wines, ciders, and sparkling bottles, while the other side carries NA spirits, beer, aperitifs, bitters, mixers, and canned mocktails. The shop keeps 40–50 curated labels at a time — names like Ghia, Lyre's, De Soi, Wilderton, Three Spirit, Ritual Zero Proof, Seedlip, Athletic Brewing, and Kin Euphorics — and runs daily in-store tastings with staff who specialize in booze-free alternatives. Online ordering, in-store pickup, and local delivery are also offered.
Beyond the Bar Bottle Shop
Core District, Downtown Richardson
DFW's first and only alcohol-free bottle shop and dry bar, Beyond the Bar offers Richardson's largest curated selection of zero-proof spirits, wines, beers, and adaptogenic beverages, alongside a tasting lounge packed with regular events.
Ever Andalo
NoDa
Ever Andalo is a Michelin Selected Italian restaurant in Charlotte's NoDa arts district, housed in the revamped Crêpe Cellar space at 3116 N. Davidson Street. Beverage director Colleen Hughes has built a dedicated spirit-free cocktail section offering six-plus named zero-proof drinks year-round, including the Spirit-Free Bramble (Amethyst Botanical, N/A Amarno, blackberry syrup, soda water, basil) and a Get Up to Get Down featuring Lyre's non-alcoholic white rum. Multiple local food publications call the lineup "absolutely stellar" for sober-curious diners.
Fremont Brewing
Fremont
Fremont Brewing's Urban Beer Garden pours a full line of house-brewed non-alcoholic craft beers — including what Seattle Met called the city's first craft NA IPA — available individually and as a dedicated NA flight.
Life on Mars
Capitol Hill
Life on Mars is a plant-based Capitol Hill cocktail bar with a 6,000-record vinyl wall and one of the city's most developed named non-alcoholic cocktail menus, built largely around Pathfinder.
Frequently asked
No caffeine at all. Nearly all the sugar comes from the elderflower syrup — roughly 12 to 15 grams in a 0.75 oz pour, about the same as a small glass of lemonade. Swapping the syrup and soda for elderflower tonic trims that down, and you can pull the syrup back to 0.5 oz (15 ml) without breaking the drink.