Mrs R and I are fans of a liqueur called Glayva; this is unfortunate because it’s unavailable in our state (WA) and perhaps in the entire USA.
We’re looking for a replacement. We plan to hit up the local liquor shelves and buy some of those little one-serving bottles for a taste test.
But I thought I might ask here for recommendations. Glayva is whiskey-based, about 35% alcohol. Any suggestions for an ersatz Glayva?
For those wondering - Glayva.
And it looks like you can buy it online and ship to the US - Glayva Liqueur : The Whisky Exchange
The descriptions I see online say it includes honey, spices, almonds and tangerines. Can’t think of anything that really matches. Do any of the above tastes come to the fore, or do they all blend together?
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey?
The two that come immediately to mind are Drambuie and Benedictine. They’re definitely not going to taste a lot like glayva, though.
Drambuie is probably what you want.
Yeah it’s the tangerine that’s throwing me off. If they want sweet spice that isn’t bitter, those two are what I thought of first. OP could try with a citrus twist maybe.
How close to the border are you? It seems that BC Liquor stores sell Glayva.
Thanks for all your inputs. I suppose we could drive up to BC, find a liquor store, and buy some, but that’s quite a drive, and neither Mrs R nor I are quite that dedicated to booze. Better to find something similar but locally available.
It’s a different taste, but have you considered trying Licor 43, if you haven’t already?
If you can’t find something similar (and there may not be anything close), you can order it online and have it delivered to your door using that link above.
It sounds similar to rock-n-rye to me.
Never having tasted Glayva, but reading the description, is it similar to Curaçao? You might try Pierre Fernando dry curaçao.
I would suggest Amaro Montenegro. It is Italian, based on scotch, sweetish, and is used as an aperitif.
I like it with a ton of ice. Delicious.
Have you tried Pimms? It’s gin based.
Now I love me some Amaro Montenegro, but it’s not based on scotch. Their site is relatively vague about the secret process, but the alcohol base is a neutral spirit of one derivation or another.
Based on reading the Glayva site, I’d agree with the other posters that Drambuie is probably the closest readily available match. A project I know I’d find fun would be to buy some Drambuie, and based on your perception of taste differences from Glayva, make your own modifications. For example, to get the tangerine flavor, infuse fruit in some vodka or grain alcohol and add that to the base liqueur. Tinker with it until satisfied and make sure to take notes.
There was a period of time where a lot of obscure amaros and other liqueurs were not as available as today and those of us trying to recreate vintage cocktails were stuck. Lots of people were modifying what was readily available this way. It’s a fair amount of work but it can be fun too!
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Now, you have me interested in procuring it!
Is Southern Comfort considered a liqueur? It sounds somewhat similar, and is super-common.
It is indeed. It could also be a good starting platform for adding flavors.
Maybe pop up to B.C.? I did an online search of Manitoba’s Liquor mart site and they sell Glayva in Manitoba.