In 1947 Ronald Morrison, a local wine and whisky merchant, wanted to create a warming, tasty whisky liqueur for his customers - one that they could enjoy in the cold Scottish winters. Morrison made what would become Glayva after he mixed Scotch malt whisky with tangerines, honey and spices. His liqueur was able to stand out so much in this era partly because these ingredients would have been considered quite exotic and hard to come by back in the 1940s. Morrison, however, had access to more than most producers typically would have as he was based in the busy port in Leith, Edinburgh.
The name of the brand was taken from the reaction of the warehouseman, Hector, who was supposedly the first to taste the liqueur after Morrison. His response was “Gle Mhath”, which is Scottish Gaelic for ‘very good’. Over time this became ‘Glayva’. The brand has thrived since Morrison founded it and it is now owned by Whyte and Mackay Ltd.