Why Sam Heughan’s bar gig before ‘Outlander’ made him worried for his life

Sláinte! 

“Outlander” star Sam Heughan worked as a bartender before his acting career took off.

“I wouldn’t say I’m the best bartender, I’m just an enthusiast,” the Scottish actor, 45, exclusively told The Post.

“Actually, the night before I had my first audition for ‘Outlander,’ I was working in a bar.”

Pre-fame, “I worked all over London as a bartender – not a very good one,” he quipped.

“I remember being in the Natural History Museum, opening a bottle of champagne, and the cork exploded, and went up through the dinosaur skeleton, just missing it.” 

By nearly defacing a museum exhibit, he recalled, “I was thinking, ‘I’m going to lose probably my life, not just my license, here!’” 

Heughan is currently promoting his new book, “The Cocktail Diaries: A Spirited Adventure.” Now out, the book includes a mixture of cocktail recipes, and Heughan’s anecdotes from his time in bars and his travels. 

“On my spirits journey, what initially was exploring the world of whiskey….I just found myself on this incredible journey,” he told the Post, referring to how he has a line of spirits.

His research sent him down a “rabbit hole” of creating spirits, and traveling to meet other producers of drinks. 

“I really wanted to share some of the amazing moments that I’ve had, whether it’s a cocktail with a bartender in New York or drinking a Mexican whiskey in the mountains.” 

As part of his travel adventures, he even drank on a trip to the Mount Everest base camp, which he had “always wanted” to see.

“I did a hike in the Himalayas. We were the first people to do it officially. So we did this new route up to 20,000 feet….where we then rappelled down into the Khumbu Valley, and then spent a couple more days hiking up to Everest Base Camp,” he told The Post. “But on the way, we got to drink some of the local distillate, which is called roxi… It’s like a white spirit.”

He didn’t imbibe the drink, however, before rappelling down 10,000 feet. “That would have been far too dangerous, but perhaps one is some Dutch courage might have helped,” he joked.

When asked what his favorite bar in New York is, the “Outlander” star joked,  “Oh, you can’t say that.”

He explained, “I have a few,” and cited Temple Bar, Peachy’s in Chinatown, Superbueno “if you like tequila.”

“I also love a dive bar. I was very tempted to include a beer and a nip of whiskey [in the book],” he added. “I know it’s not a cocktail, but it’s a go-to drink order of mine.” 

Meanwhile, although “Outlander” hasn’t ended yet – the eighth and final season airs at an unannounced date in 2026 – Heughan is finished filming. He’s currently preparing to star in “Macbeth” in London.

He told The Post, “I haven’t seen the finished episodes yet. So even I don’t know quite how it ends.”