Toschi is an Italian family company founded in 1945. Toschi’s business idea was to preserve fruits and berries for alcohol, and the company is still on that path. The company, which became famous in Italy for various liqueurs, spirits and syrups, went international in the late 60s and today their products can even be found in the northern Baltic states. What makes the company’s products original is that the liquor bottles contain real berries, 80 to 150 g depending on the size of the bottle. The liqueur made from bilberry, i.e. wild blueberry, contains 80g of blueberries, and the amount of berries is about a quarter of the bottle’s content. A 50 cl bottle cost €14.50, which is about three times more than the cheapest Estonian-made berry liqueurs.

The nose is lush and very rich. It is difficult to get the delicate aroma of blueberry in a bottle, and in Tosch the blueberry aroma is more like a berry jam. The taste is thick and rich. There is an appropriate amount of sweetness and the alcohol still bites quite perceptibly. The taste has a strong blueberry aroma, but is also a bit cloying, as is the case with berries that have been preserved for a long time. There is bitterness in the aftertaste, whether it is from the berries or the effect of ethanol. The first half of the bottle can be enjoyed just like normal liqueur, but when the bottle is half empty, whole blueberries also start to come in the glass. The berries are very soft and pleasant to chew. 

I can’t imagine a more authentic blueberry liqueur than Toschi Mirtilli. The taste comes from the real berries and there has been no need to add artificial flavors or flavor enhancers. However, Toschi is not just nectarine for sipping on its own. The bittersweet aroma and surprisingly strong alcohol bite brings a challenge. I myself mixed the liqueur with milk and it turned out to be quite an excellent drink, especially when the drink also included whole blueberries. Why wouldn’t it also go well with soda water and ice to cool off a summer day.

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