Woody Kane brings Irish whiskey to life through stories, connection, and a deep-rooted passion for the craft. As Global Brand Ambassador for The Busker Irish Whiskey, produced at the Royal Oak Distillery in County Carlow, Ireland, Kane has been instrumental in shaping the brand’s presence on the global stage. Beginning his journey in 1999 within research and development, Woody has since built a career spanning brand building, education, and international engagement, earning recognition including the Icon of Whiskey Award.
Q: Given Ireland’s deep-rooted culture of conviviality around whiskey, what do you believe differentiates Irish whiskey from other kinds of whiskies globally?
A: First of all, Ireland is the home of whiskey, where it was invented, so we tend to have it as a conversation piece. Irish whiskey wasn’t made to be put up on a pedestal, it is made to be sat down, enjoyed. The place for Irish whiskey is on the table with a friend, in a bar, in a good cocktail, and I think that’s also the energy Busker brings. Let’s enjoy it and talk about the craft behind what we do.
Q: With your early foundations more in research and development, how did that inform the more intuitively humanistic approach you bring to whiskey?
A: I’ve worked on choosing the grains, the barrels, the process and how to make it, and it gave me a good insight. But the reality is that’s how we make our whiskey, not how we build our brand or how we share that with people. Whiskey was not built on spreadsheets, again, it’s about conversation. It’s about connectivity, and I think that’s a very important part, and it’s what I learned as I travelled through my journey.
Q: When you joined Royal Oak Distillery in 2012, what did you envision it could become, and how closely has that vision aligned with what it is now today?
A: When we began the journey, we began the dream. What we wanted to do was build a world-class distillery, produce high-quality whiskey, and share that with the world. That’s exactly what we’ve done. I mean, here I am now, sitting in Jakarta, which I never thought where I would be when we started. We want to be able to create something that is approachable and welcoming, something people don’t have to be totally knowledgeable about. We just want to share what it is that we have.
Q: As the Global Brand Ambassador for The Busker, what is your approach to making sure the brand resonates across all cultures?
A: Every culture has its own nuance and that’s why I’m here today. You can’t just walk in with just your own concept and think this is going to work. It’s about a dialogue, a conversation, it’s about learning from each other. Somewhere in between, that’s where that gold piece of nugget is, and if you find that, that’s where you start to make connections.
Q: Your masterclasses are often described as both immersive and disarming, how do you create a space where expertise never feels exclusionary?
A: You’re never wrong. That’s the approach I take. That’s what I think it is in the masterclasses I give, you don’t have to know anything. No matter what you think about the whiskey, you’re not wrong. Because the best whiskey you can drink in the world is the one you like, and nobody can tell you any different.
Q: Entering a region like Southeast Asia, what do you hope the dialogue between Irish whiskey and local culture might become?
A: I’m here to learn and immerse myself in the local culture. In Japan, I saw how the highball transformed the brand; it’s about seeing where we fit into the local fabric. We have a shared soul in music and tradition, both here and in Ireland.
Q: What are the key technical tasting notes do you hope bartenders identify and highlight when working with Busker?
A: When it comes to flavour profiling, Busker is the first distillery to produce all three styles of Irish whiskey under one roof. This variety is a bartender’s toolkit: the Grain offers sweet tones for a Manhattan; the Malt brings fruit notes perfect for a Whiskey Sour; and the Pot Still delivers a spice dimension that lifts a spirit-forward Old Fashioned. For everything else, our Triple Cask Blend provides a balanced profile that can shine in any cocktail.
Q: Do you have any pieces of advice for bartenders across Indonesia on how to treat Irish Whiskey, or perhaps what is the best way for it to be consumed?
A: Get rid of the rule book, and think of the people. It’s about getting the story of this whiskey: if you’re feeling great, Busker celebrates with you. If you’re feeling low, it’s also there to commiserate. The most creative people I’ve seen are bartenders, because they’re able to take the product and really twist it around for the consumers.
The Busker Irish Whiskey
W: thebusker.com
IG: @thebusker_official
