🥃 Mirto di Sardegna
Mirto di Sardegna is an EU protected name for a liqueur from ripe myrtle berries picked and processed in Sardinia: 28–36% ABV, at least 150 g of berries per litre.
Mirto di Sardegna is a protected EU name for a liqueur made by steeping ripe myrtle berries (Myrtus communis) in a water-alcohol solution. All stages, from picking the berries to bottling, must take place in Sardinia. The finished liqueur has 28–36% ABV and less than 270 g/l of total sugars.
Berries. They are picked when fully ripe, from wild plants or from plantings close to natural conditions. The berries are transported quickly to production, checked for mould and washed; leaves may make up no more than 0.1% of the berry weight, and freezing the berries is prohibited. At least 150 g of berries go into each litre of finished liqueur.
How it is made. Whole or crushed berries are steeped in steel vats for 15 days to 8 months, in a solution of at least 40% ABV. The first drain gives a 'floral' infusion; the berries are then covered with water and pressed. The infusion is blended with alcohol and sugar syrup; honey may be added up to 15% of the sugar weight. Flavourings, colourings and preservatives are prohibited.
Bottling. The liqueur may be sold only in glass bottles of up to 1.5 litres, and must be bottled at the same plant where it was made. The specification was approved by an Italian Ministry of Agriculture decree of 2013 and updated in 2016. The colour is ruby with a violet tint, which becomes warmer with time.
Why this matters to you. The name 'Mirto di Sardegna' guarantees Sardinian berries, at least 150 g per litre and no colourings. It is a liqueur: sweet, but at 28–36% ABV. It is usually served chilled after a meal, in small portions. WHO reminds that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| EU category | liqueur (cat. 32 under Reg. 110/2008, now 33); EU PGI |
|---|---|
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 28–36% ABV; sugars under 270 g/l |
| Raw material | ripe myrtle berries from Sardinia, at least 150 g/l; spirit, sugar, up to 15% honey |
| Minimum maturation | steeping from 15 days to 8 months |
| Legal basis | decree of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture of 2013, amended 08.06.2016 |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Mirto di Sardegna → kind of → 🍸 Liqueurs → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Maceration
- Packed in
- 🍷 Wine label
- What it contains
- 🍬 Sugar
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Related to
- 🥃 Digestif, 📍 Sardinia
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Italians
- Part of
- 🍸 Liqueurs
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Limoncello, 🥃 Mirto, 🥃 Mirto
Frequently asked questions
What does the name 'Mirto di Sardegna' guarantee?
That the myrtle berries were picked in Sardinia and the liqueur was steeped and bottled there; at least 150 g of berries per litre, no colourings or flavourings.
What is the ABV of 'Mirto di Sardegna'?
From 28 to 36% ABV; total sugars under 270 g/l.
Is colouring added to Mirto di Sardegna for its ruby colour?
No. Colourings, flavourings, antioxidants and preservatives are prohibited; the colour comes from the berries.
How long are the berries steeped?
From 15 days to 8 months in steel vats, in a solution of at least 40% ABV.
Can honey be added to Mirto di Sardegna?
Yes, but no more than 15% of the sugar weight in the syrup.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Wine label — The sticker on a bottle: who made it, where from, the year and strength.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Italians — The people of Italy; their cuisine rests on wine, olive oil and cheese, and in 2025 the country made 44.4 million hectolitres of wine, the most in the world.
- 🍷 Maceration — Steeping the juice with the skins to extract colour, tannins and aroma.
- 🥃 Digestif — A small serving of brandy, grappa, amaro or liqueur at the end of a meal; French digestif, Italian digestivo. A custom, not an EU category.
Similar
🥃 Licor de hierbas de Galicia · 🥃 Kitro of Naxos · 🥃 Koum Kouat of Corfu · 🥃 Genepì del Piemonte · 🥃 Pacharán navarro · 🥃 Finnish berry liqueur (Suomalainen Marjalikööri)
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 139, 16.06.2016: Decreto 8 giugno 2016 (Ministero delle politiche agricole) — technical sheet of the GI «Mirto di Sardegna»: liqueur from hydro-alcoholic infusion of ripe myrtle berries (Myrtus communis L.) picked and processed in Sardinia; 28–36 % vol.; total sugars below 270 g/l; min. 150 g berries per litre; no added flavourings, colourings, antioxidants or preservatives; infusion 15 days to 8 months in alcohol of min. 40 %; honey up to 15 % of sugar weight; bottling in glass only, at the production plant, max. 1.5 l; link with the area: myrtle wild in coastal Sardinia up to 600–800 m, plant sacred to Venus, liqueur long made at home for family and gifts
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex III as at 31.01.2020 (legislation.gov.uk): 32. Liqueur — Mirto di Sardegna (Italy)
- Italia.it (Italian national tourism portal): Mirto in Sardinian tradition — red mirto from ripe dark berries, rarer white mirto from light berries, leaves and shoots; berries steeped in ethyl alcohol, about 40 days in the dark; served as a digestif
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks, Annex I: cat. 33 liqueur (min. 15 %, sugar from 100 g/l)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)