sardinia holiday guides

The traditional Sardinian Liqueur is fruity, extremely sweet and is served very cold. A perfectly good meal is not complete without a glass of Mirto. There are two types of Mirto, a white version made from the flowers of the myrtle, and the more popular red type, which is made from the berries. Mirto comes in many brands, the Zedda Piras promoted by the Campari Group is well known worldwide, but others from smaller and less known wineries are just as good. The bottling process is very important in a good Mirto as the bottle must be thick dark glass able to sustain freezing temperatures.  The dense syrup like consistency given by the sugar keeps it from freezing so it can be kept in the freezer for optimal serving conditions.  Sardinian people are very proud of their national liqueur and often make their own homemade version. So if you visit a local household don’t be surprised or afraid to try their homemade Mirto, it is usually very good and often much better than any brands you find on the market.

The recipe is simple. The myrtle berries, which ripen in winter between November and January, are washed and left for a couple of days. Then they are kept in a dark sealed container for 40 days covered with alcohol at 90°. After the 40 days the liquid including the juice squeezed out of the berries is mixed with syrup made with water and sugar. The content is then bottled in dark thick glass and left for a month or two before drinking.