‘Pure Art’: Sam Heughan’s ‘Outlander’ Cocktails Make the Perfect Season 8 Watch Party Drinks
Celebrate the cult show's grand finale with the leading man's iconic, crowd-pleasing cocktails!
With the final season of Outlander quickly approaching, you might already be planning your Season 8 watch party—and we don’t blame you! Though an exact premiere date has yet to be announced, fans of the show and book series have long been awaiting this grand finale, anxious to see where the final installment of Claire and Jamie’s story will take them. Though we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy another dose of Outlander thanks to the recent airing of its prequel series, Blood of My Blood, that doesn’t mean we can’t plan ahead. Unsure of where to start with your season 8 watch party menu? Look no further! Back in September, Sam Heughan, who has expertly portrayed Jamie Fraser since 2014, released his book of cocktails, The Cocktail Diaries: A Spirited Adventure.
His personal collection of cocktail recipes is deeply inspired by his travels around the world, as well as the formative years of his career, shaped by his time on Outlander. Here, three Outlander-inspired cocktails, alongside some commentary, from his book!
Whisky Highball from ‘The Cocktail Diaries’ by Sam Heughan
“On a trip to Japan to promote Outlander Season 2, I was lucky enough to visit Kyoto for the day. After taking the bullet train from Tokyo (snacking on Wagyu beef bento boxes), I arrived in record time and began to explore the impressive Imperial Palace and the hand-crafted wooden Ninna-Ji Temple. We saw geishas walk to work in their traditional clothing, clip-clopping along the street in platform sandals, and after admiring the cherry blossom trees, finally visited the oldest ramen bar in town. The smell of steaming hot ramen greeted us, and a long-bearded gentleman served us the most unctuous noodles I’d ever tasted! I slurped the umami broth from a large wooden spoon and washed it all down with my first-ever Whisky Highball – a simple and refreshing, whisky cocktail with a citrus twist. I was in heaven!
“They’re super-elegant but have to be made carefully to get them right. Stir cubed ice in the glass to make it really cold, pour out the residual water before you add a very good blended whisky, which ideally should be chilled, then top up with soda and stir gently to maintain the carbonation. I like to dabble with proportions to get the perfect balance, as different styles of whisky need different levels of dilution, but I always add a slice of lemon (or grapefruit!) to really bring the bubbles to life. Such a refreshing drink in the summer, but also a great aperitif all year round – I love to see the condensation on the ice-cold glass, watch and hear the ice crack as the whisky is poured, then see the oils slowly combine with the fizzy water. Pure art. Kanpai!”
Ingredients
2oz (60ml) whisky of choice (I suggest blended Scotch or Japanese whisky)
4oz (120ml) soda water, to top
Lemon slice, for garnish
Ice, cubed, for serving
Directions
- Fill a highball glass with cubed ice.
- Add the whisky and top with soda water.
- Stir once to combine.
- Garnish with a slice of lemon.”
Sassenach Cosmopolitan from ‘The Cocktail Diaries’ by Sam Heughan
“For the final season of Outlander, we had a small party at my house. I made a huge batch of freezer-drawer cocktails, including a Cosmopolitan, but I made it with Sassenach gin in place of the classic vodka. Despite the rainy Scottish weather, the green apple notes in the gin brought a bright, deliciously moreish and sharp bite to the cocktail – it transported us to sunny beaches, with no sand in sight.
Ingredients
1½oz (45ml) Sassenach Wild Scottish Gin
¾oz (22.5ml) Cointreau
¾oz (22.5ml) cranberry juice
¼oz (7.5ml) cranberry syrup (see below)
½oz (15ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
2 skewered fresh cranberries
Cubed ice to chill
Directions
- Chill a glass and set to one side.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with cubed ice and add all the ingredients.
- Shake to chill and combine.
- Double strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with cranberries.
Cranberry Syrup
Ingredients
9oz (250g) white caster sugar
9oz (250ml) cranberry juice
Directions
- Cranberry syrup uses a 1:1 ratio.
- Add the sugar and cranberry juice to a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Leave to cool and then use a funnel to pour the mixture into the sterilized container of your choice.
- This should keep in a refrigerator for up to a month.”
Beeʼs Knees from ‘The Cocktail Diaries’ by Sam Heughan
“Go tell the bees to spare me some honey and rustle up one of these delicious wee cocktails! Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone, the ninth of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books, gets its title from a very old Celtic custom, that later crossed to America, of informing the bees of any news you have – births, marriages, deaths and other goings-on in the community. If you don’t, the bees were said to take offence and buzz off.
“In the final seasons of Outlander, Claire is an avid beekeeper and keeps hives on Fraser’s Ridge. I played it that Jamie was always respectful and slightly wary of the bees – perhaps he’d been stung one too many times. I’m sure he’d have loved this drink, especially if it was made with Scottish heather honey. It’s so refreshing and gives you a real buzz, you could say (couldn’t help it).”
Ingredients
2oz (60ml) gin
¾oz (22.5ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
½oz (15ml) honey syrup
Orange twist
Ice, cubed for chilling
Directions
- Chill a glass and set to one side.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with cubed ice.
- Add all the ingredients and shake to chill and combine.
- Strain into your chilled glass.
- Garnish with an orange twist.”
Excerpted from The Cocktail Diaries: A Spirited Adventure by Sam Heughan. Photography by Matt Russell. Reprinted by permission of Quadrille, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Want more recipes like this? Pick up your copy of The Cocktail Diaries: A Spirited Adventure now wherever books are sold!
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