mistrà is an Italian name for anisette, used mostly in the parts of the country that border the Adriatic Sea or were under the sway of the Venetian Empire. In general, the spirit is sweetened lightly, if at all, and is bottled at between 40 percent and 50 percent ABV. Its name, in use since at least the eighteenth century, is apparently derived from the Byzantine Greek city of Mystras, from which the Venetians originally imported their anise. See anise spirits.
By: David Wondrich