Sam Heughan has chosen an Edinburgh restaurant group to be the first in the UK to serve his new brand of Scottish gin.
The Scottish actor, best known for playing kilt-clad heartthrob Jamie Fraser in Outlander, has teamed up with chef Tom Kitchin, who has four venues in the city and East Lothian.
Customers can now enjoy The Sassenach Wild Scottish Gin in Michelin-starred The Kitchin, the Scran & Scallie gastropub, Bruntsfield restaurant KORA and in The Bonnie Badger inn in Gullane.
Heughan's gin release comes after the successful 2022 launch of his premium blended whisky The Sassenach, a name which is likely a nod to Claire Fraser's (Caitríona Balfe) nickname in Outlander.
The 43-year-old 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.”
A London dry-style gin, The Sassenach Gin is distilled with foraged botanicals from the Dumfries and Galloway region of Scotland, where Heughan grew up. Scottish juniper is blended with rhubarb, heather, pine, bramble leaf, blaeberry, crab apple, and toasted oats to create a "well-balanced classic".
All four of Chef Tom Kitchin’s venues will be serving the new gin in a classic G&T, as well as in a selection of other cocktails including a Seasonal Gin Serve combining The Sassenach Gin, apple, elderflower, lemon, mint, cucumber, and tonic, which features on the menu at The Kitchin.
Heughan and Kitchin struck up a friendship after meeting while filming the award-winning series Men In Kilts with fellow Outlander actor Graham McTavish.
When Heughan launched his Sassenach Whisky in late 2022, Kitchin Group’s venues were the first to serve the spirit.
Tom 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.”
Read more: Sam Heughan on Outlander and what comes next
The Sassenach Wild Scottish Gin was released in the US in summer and received Gold at the 2023 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, the Singapore World Spirits Competition, the Spirits Business Autumn Tasting, and the Beverage Testing Institute.
The new spirit launched in the UK with a limited release in late October, with 70cl bottles costing around £44.95.
Since rising to fame in time-travelling drama Outlander, Balmaclellan-born Heughan has starred in Love Again beside Priyanka Chopra Jones and Celine Dion, and Channel 4 series The Couple Next Door opposite Eleanor Tomlinson and Alfred Enoch.
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