🥃 Glayva

Glayva is a Scottish whisky-based liqueur created in 1947 in Leith, the port district of Edinburgh. It has flavours of mandarin, honey, cinnamon and spices, and a strength of 35% ABV according to Difford’s Guide. Today the liqueur is made by Whyte & Mackay, which, according to available sources, is considered the owner of the brand.

History. The recipe is attributed to Ronald Morrison, a wine merchant and whisky blender from Leith. The name comes from the Gaelic ‘glé mhath’, meaning ‘very good’: according to the story, this is what a warehouse worker named Hector said after being one of the first to taste the liqueur. Leith was a port where wine and whisky merchants worked, so the liqueur appeared in an environment that knew both drinks. The brand mentions awards from the International Wine and Spirit Competition, but sources differ on how many there were: fourteen or fifteen.

How it is made. According to Difford’s Guide, the base is Scotch whisky, to which Mediterranean mandarins, almonds, honey, cinnamon, star anise and other spices are added. The liqueur is sweet and amber-coloured, with notes of honey, cinnamon and toffee; the malt whisky is noticeable in the taste but the liqueur is less alcoholic than many similar ones.

Range. The main product is the original liqueur; the brand’s website describes it as a whisky liqueur with mandarin, honey and spicy notes.

Why this matters to you. Glayva is a liqueur, not a whisky: its strength is lower and it contains a lot of sugar. Some reference books list 40%, but Difford’s Guide gives 35% ABV. Check the label. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.