Though it feels like a classic cocktail, the Hugo Spritz was invented in 2005 by a bartender in northern Italy as an alternative to the Aperol Spritz (Spritz Veneziano). The original version used lemon balm syrup rather than elderflower. It quickly grew in popularity, not just in Italy, but also in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. It's worth noting that people have been combining sparkling wine and elderflower for eons before 2005.