A Tale of Two Spritzes

Wotcha!

Just a heads up that I’m going to take a break for a few weeks this summer. It’ll be a chance to recharge and think about where this newsletter is heading over the coming months and years.

Don’t worry though—new issues will still be landing in your inbox each week. I’ve got a few editions in my back pocket, and a couple of friends from the industry will be stepping in with 'takeover' issues that I think you’re going to love.

The only change is that NAN—my round-up of new non-alcoholic drink news—will be taking a short break. That won’t happen for another few weeks, but I wanted to give you a heads-up.

Anyway, enjoy some great drinks this week!

Cheers,

Myles

In this week’s edition:

NAN
New NA Drink News

COCKTAIL
Spritz Del Conte - Non-Alcoholic Classico

COCKTAIL
Little Saints - Hugo Spritz

Read time: 5 minutes 22 seconds

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COCKTAILS: Pink Lemonade with magnesium and adaptogens is the latest addition to the Recess family. (Link)

SPIRITS: Up in Canada, Mad Moose has launched not one but two new products: the world’s first alcohol-free Japanese whisky and a bottled alcohol-free Old Fashioned. (Link)

COCKTAILS: If you’d like a change from a Venetian Spritz, here’s a Hugo Spritz from Little Saints. Read more below. (Link)

COCKTAILS: Three new launches debute De Soi’s Social Spritz line: Lemon Elderflower, Blackberry Hibiscus, and Peach Ginger. (Link)

BEER-ISH: What do you get when you mix coconut water with lager? Coco Lager, of course! (Link)

COCKTAIL

ModSub thoughts: I feel like I may have touched on this once before, but as I can’t seem to find any mention of it in the backlog of issues, I’m going to presume that I’m either mistaken or that some of you will be taking the journey back up into the Sicilian hills for a second time.

I believe the first time I tried an Aperol Spritz was just around the corner from the Church of San Nicolò in the hilltop village of Savoca. Among the many weddings the church has seen over the centuries, one of its most famous is that of The Godfather's Michael Corleone and Apollonia Vitelli. It’s a fortress-like church overlooking the valley below, with the Mediterranean sparkling in the distance. On a hot summer’s day, it’s quite the walk from the village, and the lucky ones might get a lift from a willing owner of a Piaggio Ape.

On a little terrace just steps from the church entrance stood a vibrant orange Aperol truck serving wine glasses filled with the bright orange spritz. Its presence seemed oddly incongruous with the surroundings, tucked away behind the church walls as though hoping not to be seen by disapproving clergy. Still, with no other refreshments in sight, it was perhaps a stroke of quiet genius, drawing in tourists like ourselves.

At the time, the Aperol Spritz was just hitting its stride as a global phenomenon, and I won’t lie—we felt very lucky to be experiencing it for the first time in such a special corner of Sicily.

Over the last few years, many non-alcoholic companies have released their own versions of the Venetian cocktail, with varying degrees of success. Spritz Del Conte is one such example, and a fun one at that. Made with grape must to evoke the taste of Prosecco, the gentle tang of bitter orange—presumably chinotto—and a collection of herbal extracts, Spritz Del Conte delivers a more than respectable ready-to-drink version of the cocktail you’ve come to expect. It comes in both 750ml ready-to-serve bottles and handy single-serve bottles, making it easy to slip one into your bag for a picnic.

If you prefer the botanicals to do a little more of the heavy lifting, or the bitterness to keep you on your toes, there may be better options out there. But for those looking for something akin to the version I enjoyed in Savoca, Spritz Del Conte's Non-Alcoholic Classico will suit you just fine.

How Spritz Del Conte describes Non-Alcoholic Classico: Spritz Del Conte Classico Non-Alcoholic Ready to Serve Spritz combines bitter orange and aromatic herbs for a bright, refreshing spritz without the alcohol. Inspired by classic Italian aperitivo tradition. Simply twist open, pour over ice, and enjoy. Twist. Pour. Spritz.

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COCKTAIL

ModSub thoughts: If the Venetian Spritz, with its vibrant bitter orange, has become the poster child for all things spritz, non-alcoholic or not, then the Hugo Spritz can’t be far behind. The northern Italian cousin is already considered a modern cocktail classic, and Little Saints have just launched their version. And it is really good.

The Hugo Spritz was created by Roland Gruber, a bartender at Bar Sanzeno in the picturesque alpine village of Naturno back in 2005. Looking for a less bitter alternative to the Aperol Spritz, Gruber sourced local ingredients to build his recipe. Elderflower blossom from trees grown throughout the region replaced the original ingredient, lemon balm, as a more readily available syrup. Mint, lime, prosecco and sparkling water completed the cocktail, and before long the recipe was surging in popularity. With its gentler, more floral profile, word of the new spritz spread across the Alpine borders into Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Today, the Hugo Spritz is one of the most popular cocktails in Europe.

And so kudos to Little Saints for being one of the first to create a non-alcoholic version of this cocktail. I’ve only made my way through a couple of cans so far, but I might even go so far as to say it could be my favourite Little Saints cocktail to date.

The elderflower provides a delicate fruit base, drawing out notes of lychee, pear and passionfruit, all enveloped in a floral shroud that allows just a hint of mint into the mix. The bubbles are delicate, matching the overall character of the cocktail, while the sweetness behaves in much the same way. And, of course, as with all Little Saints drinks, there’s a cocktail within a cocktail—a mingling of mushrooms that heightens the senses and contributes a gentle earthy seam to the flavor.

Pair it with summer weddings, outdoor evening meals or with a good book while swinging in a hammock. This one makes me happy. 

How Little Saints describes Hugo Spritz: Elderflower and cooling mint come together in our Hugo Spritz - a modern take on the beloved elderflower spritz. Crisp, floral, and perfectly bubbly, with zero grams of sugar and all the flavor of your favorite golden hour cocktail. Crafted with the Little Saints Stack: boosted with organic reishi, lion’s mane, and damiana to lift your spirits and warm your senses.

EXTRA READS

• A quick heads-up: some links here are affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission—thank you for supporting my work at no extra cost to you.

• Blog thumbnail photo credit: Myles Faulkner