A Highlands-Inspired Watch Party for Season 4 Premiere Night of The Traitors, Scotch Cocktails Worth Plotting Over

With cloaks draped, fires lit, and betrayals already simmering, the Mafia-themed game show, The Traitors, returns for Season 4 on Thursday, January 8. Once again filmed at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, the series leans heavily into atmosphere, tension, and the slow burn of alliances forming and falling apart. It also presents the perfect reason to host a watch party that embraces the show’s dramatic tone rather than resisting it.

Given the Highlands setting and the show’s unmistakably moody energy, Scotch whisky feels like the natural companion for premiere night. There is also a subtle detail that makes the pairing feel even more appropriate. The show’s host hails from Aberfeldy, a name that quietly anchors this cocktail lineup in place as much as in spirit.

Below, three Scotch-forward cocktails designed for easy at-home mixing, simple batching, and sipping between reveals. Each one fits a different mood of the night, depending on whether you are plotting, observing, or just enjoying the ride.

Season 4 returns viewers to the Scottish Highlands, where the setting does as much storytelling as the cast. Stone walls, candlelight, and heavy fabrics set the stage for a game driven by trust and deception. A watch party that mirrors that ambiance does not need excess. Low lighting, a crackling fireplace or flickering candles, and a well-built drink go a long way.

These cocktails were chosen for balance and approachability. Each leans into warmth and structure while remaining easy enough to execute without missing key moments of the episode.

A Dark, Brooding Take on an Old Fashioned

This is the drink for leaning back and watching the room carefully. Built on Aberfeldy 12 Single Malt Scotch, Howells’ Fashion layers dark fruit and spice through Choya umeshu plum liqueur and cinnamon syrup, finished with Angostura bitters. It feels contemplative and quietly intense, well suited to a night of calculated moves.

Ingredients

1 ½ oz Aberfeldy 12 Single Malt Scotch
¼ oz Choya umeshu plum liqueur
¼ oz cinnamon syrup
3 dashes Angostura bitters

Method

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and stir.
Strain into a rocks glass over a 2 by 2 inch cube.
Garnish with kumquat compote

Notes

This recipe was created by Masa Urushido, managing partner at Katana Kitten in New York.

A Smooth Crowd-Pleaser With Highland Roots

If Howells’ Fashion is for strategy, the Gold Fashioned is for comfort. Aberfeldy 12 is stirred with honey syrup and a duo of bitters, creating a drink that is smooth, balanced, and deceptively simple. It is easy to batch, easy to enjoy, and works just as well early in the episode as it does once the stakes rise.

Ingredients

2 oz Aberfeldy 12 Single Malt Scotch
0.25 to 0.5 oz honey syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 dashes orange bitters

Method

Combine Aberfeldy 12, honey syrup, and bitters in a mixing glass over ice.
Stir until chilled and strain over ice in a rocks glass.
Garnish with an orange twist

A Lighter Highball for Twist-Filled Moments

For viewers who prefer something refreshing between betrayals, Scotch Ginger and Apple offers lift without losing character. Dewar’s 12 Year Old forms the base, paired with Fuji apple-ginger syrup, lemon juice, and soda. It is bright, clean, and well suited to refills as the episode unfolds.

Ingredients

1.5 oz Dewar’s 12 Year Old
¾ oz Fuji apple-ginger syrup
¼ oz lemon juice
Top with soda

Method

Build directly in the glass

Glass

Highball or Collins

Ice

Long ice spear

Garnish

Grated nutmeg

Notes

This recipe was created by Masa Urushido, managing partner at Katana Kitten in New York

Season 4’s premiere promises tension, strategy, and the kind of moments that reward attention. These cocktails are designed to complement that pace rather than distract from it. Each can be prepared ahead of time, poured easily, and enjoyed without fuss.