Distiller on road to success

He has been on every highway from Kentucky to Kyoto checking out whisky distilleries around the world – now Dan Woolley is sharing his passion for the spirit from his Byron Bay base.

The Highwayman Whisky founder just celebrated his first global release in partnership with independent bottler Cut Your Wolf Loose in the UK and is busily preparing for his next event.

Highwayman Whisky’s Summer Whisky Mash Up will be held in his tasting room next to Lord Byron Distillery in the arts and industry estate on December 7.

My Kitchen Rules 2018 winner Alex Clark is smoking beef short ribs and chicken wings for the event, with tiramisu from Mullumbimby’s Baker + Daughters for dessert.

“We’ll be launching a couple of whiskys on the day and people will be able to drink fresh from the barrel and bottle it,” Woolley said.

Woolley began working as a bartender at the Unicorn Hotel on Sydney’s Oxford Street in 1995.

He went on to work at many of the city’s hotspots, including Ruby Rabbit and the Bourbon & Beefsteak, before hitting the road as an ambassador for alcohol companies such as Diageo, William Grant & Sons and Monkey Shoulder.

He began offering whisky masterclasses at The Roadhouse after moving to Byron Bay in 2013, before being poached by Beam Suntory as its national ambassador.

It was around this time his friend Bill Lark, who is considered the godfather of Australian whisky, encouraged him to start making his own.

Since launching Highwayman in 2020, he’s released around one batch a month.

“I have very much gone against the grain by not releasing a core whisky or core range,” he said. “Every batch I release is very different. I have barrels in 10 different sizes of 38 different wood varieties, which changes the flavour of the whisky.”

But while whisky is known for its alcohol content, getting drunk is the last thing on Woolley’s mind.

“I like the nose, the aroma and the flavour on your palette,” he said.