Mirto (liqueur)

Homemade Sardinian mirto
Bottled Sardinian mirto

Mirto (licòre/-i de murta in Sardinian, licòr di mortula in Corsican) is a popular liqueur in the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia, Corsica and Capraia.[1]

It is obtained from the myrtle plant through the alcoholic maceration of the berries or a compound of berries and leaves.[2] Myrtle grows freely in Sardinia, where the liqueur was consumed as part of a local niche market, in two varieties: the one with black berries and the other one with the white ones; legend has it that, long ago, Sardinian bandits introduced this particular usage of the plant to the nearby island of Corsica, where the liqueur has also been considered a traditional drink since then.[3]

  1. ^ Marcis, Richard (August 15, 2011). "MIRTO AND THE BOUNTY OF SARDINIA". Wine Words Wisdom. winewordswisdom.com. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  2. ^ Deiana, Stefania; Deiana, Gaveena (20 April 2015). "SARDINIAN MIRTO". Ganeeva. gaveena.com. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  3. ^ Shaw, Hank (30 October 2010). "MAKING MIRTO, A SARDINIAN LIQUEUR". Honest Food. honest-food.net. Retrieved 7 March 2017.