Some cocktails become part of a city's everyday rituals. In Milan, the Spritz is certainly one of them. You'll find it during aperitivo, at outdoor café tables, and accompanying conversations that begin before dinner and continue much longer than expected.
It's a familiar, instantly recognizable cocktail that needs little introduction. And that is precisely what makes it interesting to imagine what happens when someone decides to reinterpret it.
In UGO's Cocktail Odyssey 2026, the Spritz becomes the starting point for a journey to Jupiter. The cocktail is called Jupiter, and its recipe brings together three ingredients: white vermouth, chrysanthemum, and apple and pear cider.
A combination that moves away from the most familiar version of the Spritz and explores a different direction within aperitivo culture.
The Spritz: A Classic That Keeps Evolving
The Spritz has a history rooted in northeastern Italy and has taken many different forms over time. Today, the version made with Aperol, Prosecco, and soda is probably the most recognizable, but it is far from the only interpretation of this family of cocktails.
Some versions use different bitters, while others experiment with different wines or aromatic ingredients. This versatility is one of the reasons why the Spritz continues to find its place in contemporary mixology.
Its identity is not defined by a single recipe. The setting matters too: aperitivo, meeting friends, and that moment of the day when you finally take a break.
Reinterpreting the Spritz therefore means engaging with something more than a cocktail. It means starting from a tradition deeply rooted in Italian culture.
Jupiter: Three Ingredients, a Different Kind of Spritz
On UGO's official menu, Jupiter is presented through a simple recipe:
White vermouth, chrysanthemum, and apple and pear cider.
White vermouth provides a connection to the tradition of aromatized wines, which have long played an important role in Italian aperitivo culture.
Chrysanthemum introduces a floral element, a less conventional choice compared with the ingredients normally associated with the Spritz.
Finally, apple and pear cider brings a fruit-fermented beverage into the composition, offering an alternative to the sparkling wines used in more familiar versions of the cocktail.
Three ingredients that suggest a clear direction: rather than reproducing the traditional Spritz, Jupiter takes inspiration from its identity to create something original.
White Vermouth and the Culture of Aperitivo
Vermouth holds an important place in the history of mixology. It is an aromatized wine infused with botanicals, enjoyed both on its own and as an ingredient in numerous classic cocktails.
From the Martini to the Negroni, vermouth appears in recipes that have helped shape international cocktail culture.
Its different styles, from white and red to dry varieties, offer bartenders a wide range of aromatic possibilities.
In Jupiter, white vermouth is one of the three ingredients listed in the recipe. Its presence connects the cocktail to the aperitivo tradition while placing it within a composition quite different from the most familiar Spritz.
Chrysanthemum: When Flowers Enter the World of Mixology
Flowers and botanicals are nothing new in the world of beverages. Across different traditions, they have long been used to prepare infusions, teas, and aromatic products.
Chrysanthemum, in particular, is also used in several Asian traditions, where its flowers are prepared as teas and infusions.
In contemporary mixology, the growing interest in botanical ingredients offers opportunities to explore combinations beyond familiar flavors.
The presence of chrysanthemum in Jupiter's recipe introduces precisely this element of curiosity.
Apple and Pear Cider: An Interesting Alternative
When we think of Italian aperitivo, wine is often one of the first things that comes to mind. Cider, however, belongs to a different tradition, one based on the fermentation of fruit.
Apple- and pear-based fermented beverages can display very different characteristics depending on the varieties used and the production methods.
In a recipe like Jupiter, choosing apple and pear cider represents a distinctive departure from the traditional Spritz.
It is an example of how contemporary mixology can draw inspiration from different beverage categories, bringing them together with ingredients already familiar in cocktail culture.
Jupiter and Cocktail Odyssey 2026
UGO's new cocktail menu is built around an imaginary journey through the planets, with each drink offering its own interpretation of familiar cocktail references.
We have already encountered Uranus, inspired by the Espresso Martini, and Neptune, which takes the Margarita as its starting point.
With Jupiter, the journey returns to one of the great symbols of Italian aperitivo: the Spritz.
A Different Kind of Spritz in Milan's Navigli District
The Spritz is one of the defining drinks of Milanese aperitivo, and Navigli is among the city's neighborhoods where this tradition is particularly visible.
But choosing a cocktail during aperitivo doesn't necessarily mean ordering the same recipe every time.
For those who enjoy discovering original interpretations, a signature cocktail menu can offer new possibilities without losing the pleasure of a relaxed, informal moment.
At UGO Cocktail Bar – Bistrot, located at Via Corsico 12, just steps from the Naviglio Grande, the selection includes classic cocktails, original creations, wines, and bistrot cuisine.
Jupiter is part of Cocktail Odyssey 2026 and represents one of the ways UGO explores the relationship between established cocktail traditions and less conventional ingredients.
For anyone looking for a Spritz in Milan's Navigli district and interested in discovering something different, Jupiter is a cocktail worth getting to know.
From a Great Classic to a New Planet
The strength of classic cocktails also lies in their ability to inspire new recipes.
The Spritz is instantly recognizable, but its history shows that there is more than one way to interpret it.
Jupiter embraces precisely this creative freedom.
White vermouth, chrysanthemum, and apple and pear cider: three ingredients that come together in an original creation while maintaining a connection to the world of aperitivo.
Another chapter in UGO's Cocktail Odyssey 2026.
This time, the destination is Jupiter.
