7 hours ago
The cocktail set to dethrone Aperol as spritz of the summer
Evoking memories of countryside rambles and summer fêtes, there can be few more quintessentially British flavours than elderflower.
After years of underwhelming demand, sales of drinks infused with the taste are suddenly booming, boosted in particular by the sudden popularity of the Hugo spritz cocktail, which younger drinkers are turning to as an alternative to the stronger Aperol.
Ocado has reported that demand for elderflower liqueur, a key ingredient in the cocktail, is up by 107 per cent year-on-year.
Sales of elderflower cordial and elderflower sparking pressé are also rising, up nearly 50 per cent and 80 per cent respectively, according to the online supermarket.
Elderflower comes from the elder tree (Sambucus nigra), which is native to much of Europe and particularly prevalent in the UK. It grows widely in hedgerows, woodlands and along roadsides and has long been associated with British cuisine.
The revival in demand for the flavour coincides with an extended period of warm weather. As temperatures in much of Britain have hit the high twenties over the past few weeks, Hugo spritz videos have been going viral on social media.
One video by a travel influencer, Juli Cuevas, which declares 2025 to be a 'Hugo spritz summer', has been viewed nearly three million times on TikTok.
Many of the comments compare the cocktail favourably with the Aperol spritz, which is typically stronger and has a bitter taste whereas a Hugo is lighter and sweeter.
Another video by 'The Wannabe Bartender' showing a guide on how to make a Hugo spritz, which includes prosecco, mint, soda water and lime, has been viewed 1.6 million times. In the video, Henrik Liverod, who has more than 350,000 followers, declares the Aperol spritz 'boring' and tells his viewers that they 'deserve better'.
He describes the Hugo spritz as 'lit', slang for excellent or exciting. After drinking his creation, Liverod adds: 'It's summery, it's fresh, it's refreshing, it's mmm, it gives you an orgasm on your tastebuds.'
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A spokesman for Ocado said elderflower was 'having a renaissance'. He added that the Hugo spritz offered a more 'homegrown take' on a summer cocktail because it was rooted in a 'British flavour'.
The drink actually originates in South Tyrol, a German-speaking region in northern Italy.
It is reported to have been invented in 2005 by a bartender, Roland Gruber, as a lighter alternative to the Aperol spritz. His original version included lemon balm syrup, often known as melissa syrup, which was later often substituted with elderflower syrup or St-Germain liqueur as the drink spread beyond the region.
Gruber reportedly chose the name 'Hugo' simply because he liked how it sounded.
My 'It drink' of the summer isn't a putrid orange Aperol or an elderflower cocktail, it's non-alcohol spritz made by Mother Root, which counts Nigella Lawson among its fans and sells in Waitrose for £27.95 a bottle.
The British alcohol-free brand launched in 2019 and has been quietly converting cocktail lovers like me with its alcohol-free aperitifs ever since. It doesn't matter that they don't have booze in. They are delicious.
I was won over by the limited edition marmalade flavour that first launched in 2023. Then I tried the ginger aperitif, made with apple cider vinegar, blossom honey and ginger and chilli, that came out last year. I'm not surprised it sold out on their website in 20 minutes (it's been restocked now, thank goodness) or that since launching in Waitrose in January, sales have soared by 80 per cent.
What I am most excited about is their lovely new limited edition rhubarb flavour, which comes out on Wednesday and is a blend of rhubarb root and apple cider. It sounds delectable served as suggested: ice cold in a champagne flute with cold soda water. Even Nigella is vying for a bottle, eagerly commenting on the brand's Instagram page last week that she'd be ordering some. I will be joining her.
