Whisky blender and distiller. Born in Edinburgh, the son of spirit merchant and entrepreneur Andrew Usher (c.1782 - 1855). Usher is credited as the first blender of whisky (1860), mixing malt and grain whisky together to produce a lighter flavoured product. This he achieved with his father and they sold the result as Old Vatted Glenlivet. The company purchased the entire output of the Glenlivet distillery and also owned a distillery in Edinburgh. Usher marketed whisky outside Scotland for the first time and ensured its international success. This business became the North British Distillery Company, the Distillers' Company Ltd., United Distillers and Vintners (UDV) and eventually part of Diageo Plc.
He gave £100,000 to the City of Edinburgh to build the Usher Hall, which was completed in 1900, two years after his death.
Usher is buried in Edinburgh's Grange Cemetery. His elder brother, Thomas Usher (1821-96) was a successful brewer.