To say that moving to Italy right out of college induced culture shock would be an understatement. I recall just after my arrival, I had three beers with Italian friends at a bar, and they were honestly grossed out, telling me that was entirely too much alcohol for a casual night out. I took note and changed my drinking habits to match my new surroundings, assuming Italy was a pretty moderate place. Then I met some Sardinian university students in Rome. Every single one had a full arsenal of homemade mirto (myrtle liqueur), a fridge full of Ichnusa (the island’s lager), and a stash of homemade filu ‘e ferru (moonshine, basically). I had found my people. I’m not saying we’re boozehounds, but we like to get a little loose in a way that isn’t 100 percent socially acceptable on the mainland. These kindred spirits (booze pun, get it?) gave me my first taste of mirto, an infused digestif made from Myrtus communis, an herbaceous berry that looks kind of like a wild blueberry. Myrtle berries are harvested in the fall, then steeped in alcohol and sweetened to make a balanced digestif. There are a number of mirto brands available, but the homemade stuff is so good and has nothing in common with the industrial stuff. If you can’t forage locally, buy dried myrtle berries online or substitute wild or cultivated blueberries or even mulberries.