1. The Finnish name for rubus arcticus, or brambleberry, either the plant itself or the berries from it. Literarlly translated, this name means "honey berry."
2. A sweet liqueur made from the the berries of the rubus arcticus. A Finnish delicacy and specialty. As the brambleberry plant must be grown above the arctic circle, it is more than a little scarce. Therefore, mesimarja liqueur is not generally exported.
In addition to the scarcity of the berries, the second main contributing factor to the liqueur not being available for sale abroad was Alko, the Finnish government's official monopoly on hard liquor. Alko also chose not to export Finland's premier vodka, Koskenkorva Viina. Their official monopoly was revoked in 1995, in preparation for Finland to join the European Union. However, it is still a functioning private entity, and many of its policies and traditions still carry great weight with Finnish hard liquor production and distribution today.