Established in 2020 by Scottish Actor Sam Heughan and business partner, friend and collaborator Alex Norouzi, Sassenach Spirits is a platform for Sam and Alex to share their love and passion for great quality spirits with great stories crafted by the world’s craft distillers. Known for his break out role as Jamie Fraser in the hit tv show ‘Outlander’, Sassenach Spirits takes its name from a phrase used throughout the show, Sassenach. The term Sassenach is derived from Scot’s Gaelic word sasunnach, which meant Saxon before evolving to become what some see as a derogatory term used to insult someone from England. In the context of Sassenach Spirits and the use of Sassenach throughout the Outlander books and TV series, it is used purely as a term of endearment by Sam’s character Jamie when he refers to the love of his life ‘Claire’, played by Actress Caitríona Balfe. Sam has also played the leading role in several A-list Hollywood productions and has continued to refine his craft through various movie, TV and stage roles.
Born and bred in Dumfries and Galloway, Sam is a passionate advocate for Scotland and Scottish culture, including food and drink, and with his Sassenach Spirits brand has sought out creative collaborations, building a portfolio of quality, premium spirits, including a blended whisky and tequila, with Sam playing a role in the development of each Sassenach release. 2023 saw the release of Sam’s The Sassenach Wild Scottish Gin, a new Scottish Gin created in collaboration with local distillery Crafty Distillery, based in the Scottish market town of Newton Stewart.
Craig Rankin, one of the co-founders at the now Galloway Distillery (formerly known as the Crafty Distillery), worked with Sam to create a Scottish Gin that reflected the local area’s botanical garden and several botanicals that reminded Sam of his childhood in the Galloway region. Crab apples and rhubarb were in abundance where Sam grew up, with many summers spent foraging for crab apples for homemade crab apple jelly and picking rhubarb to make delicious rhubarb crumbles. Sam also spent summers walking through heather-covered hillsides with friends and family, spotting Red Deer and Golden Eagles before stopping for a picnic with glorious views over the Dumfries and Galloway countryside. It is a place that still holds special meaning for Sam and his family.
In 2025 Sam and his business partner Alex made the dream of starting a distillery in Galloway a reality when they took ownership of Crafty Distillery, with the leadership team and staff at the distillery being kept on to help Sam and Alex grow the distillery. With the change of ownership also came a change in name along with changes to the distillery and the distillery grounds. In late September 2025 the Galloway Distillery officially opened its doors with lots of exciting plans that will build on the foundations of the original distillery and the original founders vision of showcasing the Scottish spirits made at the distillery and the many things that make Galloway a must visit destination.
The Sassenach Wild Scottish Gin is a London Dry Scottish Gin from the heart of Galloway, produced at the Galloway Distillery, home to Sassenach Spirits. Sam Heughan, co-founder of Galloway Distillery and Sassenach Spirits, wanted to create a Scottish Gin that reflected the Galloway landscape through the use of several locally foraged botanicals. He also wanted to craft a Scottish Gin personally linked to his time growing up in the area.
Sam worked with Craig Rankin, master distiller at the Galloway Distillery, on the recipe development. Sam picked crab apples, heather flower blossoms, Scots pine resin, Scottish juniper berries, crab apples, bramble leaf, blaeberry, and toasted oats as key botanicals alongside a number of classic gin botanicals, that together could create the aroma and flavour journey Sam wanted the gin to have. Each botanical, with its flavour or aroma, evoked Sam’s memories of adventures on heather-clad hillsides, pretending to be a Celtic king hiding deep in a forest from an unseen enemy, or simply enjoying time with family, tucking into a rhubarb crumble, or helping pick crab apples for making crab apple jam. Each botanical was chosen because it means something special.
On the nose, piney juniper is present without overpowering the other aromas of fresh orchard fruit and hints of citrus and florals. On the palate, resinous juniper is rounded with notes of fruit crumble before zesty citrus notes emerge, balanced with a slightly tart rhubarb note and an overall creamy, textured mouthfeel from the toasted oak, which also adds a subtle hint of minerality and smoke. The finish develops further forest notes of pine and green forest floor, balanced with hints of fresh wild berries with gentle floral undertones before leaving a crisp, fresh apple finish.
Key Botanical(s): Crab Apple, Blaeberry, Toasted Scottish Oats
Gin Style: London Dry Scottish Gin
Strength: 42% ABV
Goes great with: A slice of apple, tonic and ice.
Learn more about Sassenach Spirits by visiting the links below.
