Outlander Jamie Fraser actor Sam Heughan picks Edinburgh restaurant group to serve his new gin first

Outlander star Sam Heughan announces new gin partnership with Edinburgh restaurant group

An Edinburgh restaurant group will be the first in the UK to serve Outlander star Sam Heughan’s new gin.

It comes after the Scottish actor, who plays Jamie Fraser in the hit time-travel series, teamed up with pal Tom Kitchin to allow the celebrity chef to list Sassenach Wild Scottish Gin in his four venues across Edinburgh and East Lothian.

Diners will now have the chance to sample the gin at Michelin-starred The Kitchin at the Shore in Leith, the Scran & Scallie gastropub in Stockbridge, Bruntsfield restaurant KORA and Gullane's The Bonnie Badger Inn.

Outlander star Sam Heughan, who plays Jamie Fraser in the series, has chosen an Edinburgh restaurant group owned by chef Tom Kitchin to be the first in the UK to serve his new brand of gin.

It is the second spirit in Heughan’s Sassenach Spirits range and follows the successful launch of The Sassenach Whisky in the UK in late 2022.

Kitchin Group’s venues were the first to serve The Sassenach Whisky in the UK in November 2022, and the listing of the new gin follows a successful partnership that has flourished throughout 2023.

A London dry-style gin, The Sassenach Gin is distilled with an array of foraged botanicals from the Dumfries and Galloway region of Scotland, where Heughan spent his childhood before moving to Edinburgh as a teenager. Scottish juniper marries with rhubarb, heather, pine, bramble leaf, blaeberry, crab apple, and toasted oats to create a well-balanced classic.

Heughan first met Kitchin when filming the award-winning series Men In Kilts, and the pair have formed a friendship through their shared passion for the great Scottish landscapes and the bounties it brings.

Heughan said: “The Sassenach Whisky has been a hard act to follow, but we are sure that diners and drinkers at chef Tom Kitchin’s fantastic Scottish venues will appreciate our award-winning Wild Scottish Gin – especially when paired with the incredible Scottish seasonal dishes on offer. A true taste of the glorious Scottish landscape awaits.”

Mr Kitchin said: “The Sassenach Whisky has proved to be incredibly popular with our diners across our venues – both as a dram and in a range of seasonal serves, popular with both local diners and guests from the US – they just can’t get enough!

“We’re really excited to be bringing The Sassenach Wild Scottish Gin to our guests. The local foraged botanicals used to carefully craft the gin and bring to life the rugged Scottish landscape, marries well with our From Nature to Plate philosophy and the fresh produce we serve at our restaurants. We’re looking forward to sharing some wonderful seasonal cocktails with our guests just in time for Christmas.”