Woody Kane

Global Brand Ambassador - The Busker from Royal Oak Distillery

Woody Kane is the Ambassador to the world-class Royal Oak Distillery. He entered the professional spirits world in 1999, when he began assisting the research and development team at The Hot Irishman for their Irish Coffee and Irish Cream. In 2006, Woody took on an even greater role by setting up trade show experiences in various markets and training bar staff around Ireland, all while working to rebrand the whiskey/liqueur. He named the initiative The Irishman & Writers Tears.

Woody joined the Royal Oak Distillery as its ambassador in 2014 with the goal of creating a world class distillery in County Carlow. As the educator and storyteller of Royal Oak, he began the Visitor Experience and Bar Masterclass for trade groups, including the Ambassador ‘Gloves are Off’ with the Irish Whiskey Society Night where ambassadors are asked to blind taste.

Woody fell in love with whiskey early in life. Watching the camaraderie and joy of friends sharing a bottle of Irish whiskey, the stories they shared and the tales told showed him the importance of living in the moment. This stayed with him and, with a background in Humanities, Woody’s passion to share and tell stories became the core of his approach to whiskey.

He’s proud to be part of Royal Oak where they source the highest ingredients, from the barley to the water source. Highly trained distillers, who are passionate about what they do, watch carefully over the process from barley to barrel. The barrels are selected to suit the needs of the whiskey, and when ready, the blender meticulously works to ensure that consumers get the highest quality.