How the St-Germain Spritz became London’s drink of the summer

It is the summer of the St-Germain Spritz in London. As heatwave follows heatwave and the capital’s pavements begin to feel increasingly Provençal, the familiar orange Aperol is facing fresh competition from the paler, prettier and distinctly floral Hugo Spritz.Once a lesser-spotted order outside the ski resorts and lakeside bars of northern Italy, the Hugo is suddenly everywhere. Google searches for the cocktail have increased by 170 per cent over the past three months, according to figures supplied by St-Germain. Globally, interest in the Hugo Spritz rose by 58 per cent last year, as drinkers increasingly sought lighter, fresher-tasting alternatives to more bitter aperitifs.The formula is pleasingly simple: 60ml of sparkling wine, 60ml of sparkling water and 40ml of St-Germain elderflower liqueur, poured over ice and finished with a twist of lemon. Other iterations add lime and a triumphant sprig of mint. The result is delicately sweet, highly refreshing and considerably less lurid than its orange predecessor — more French Riviera garden party than stag weekend in Venice.The numbers suggest this is more than a passing terrace fancy. The latest IWSR data shows that the liqueur has increased its share of the UK spritz category by seven percentage points year on year, reaching 17 per cent, while Aperol has fallen by six points to 58 per cent. St-Germain is also said to be the fastest-growing brand in the category, up 46 per cent against overall spritz growth of 10 per cent. More broadly, bartenders surveyed for the Drinks International Brands Report 2026 named St-Germain the industry’s second-bestselling liqueur, with the Hugo Spritz credited with driving renewed enthusiasm for it.Noa Taieb, Sophie Turner and Brooke DeVard attend the St-Germain's Club Riviera Pop-up at Mondrian CannesGettyLondon’s terraces have responded accordingly. The drink can be found at Kitty Hawk in the City; Jurema, the foliage-filled terrace at The Mandrake; and high above London at the Shangri-La at The Shard. There are further opportunities for alfresco sipping at Templeton Garden, Three Darlings, Pont de la Tour, Sale e Pepe and Pear Tree Café, as well as Gaucho’s terraces in Richmond, Hampstead and Canary Wharf. The Fable, Devonshire Terrace and All Bar One in Leicester Square are serving it too.The celebrity seal of approval comes from Sophie Turner, who has returned as the face of St-Germain for a Riviera-set summer campaign. In its accompanying short film, a change in the weather threatens Turner’s beach day before the clouds clear and the spritzes arrive.“I am enjoying a simple summer on the French Riviera and The St-Germain Spritz is my perfect partner for that,” Turner says. “It’s light, bright and fresher tasting, and captures the essence of summer, whether you’re on a beach far away, or just embracing being carefree at home.”For Londoners unable to escape to the Côte d’Azur, an elderflower spritz beneath a restaurant awning may be the next best thing. Aperol orange has ruled summers for long enough. This year, the chicest glass on the terrace is filled with flowers.