While fans know Jean-Claude Van Damme for his martial arts skills and acting prowess, as it turns out, he’s also a whisky connoisseur, recently travelling to Belfast to celebrate his 63rd birthday and launch his co-owned Irish whiskey brand, Old Oak.
Born in Belgium, the warrior quickly gravitated towards combat sports, participating in kickboxing and karate competitions. However, it wasn’t long before he decided to blend his passion with acting, moving to the US to star in Bloodsport.
Since then, he’s remained one of the biggest names in the world of entertainment and used his platform to pursue a plethora of different avenues, which now include, making whiskey.
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Showcasing his business prowess, the 63-year-old star has dived right into the alcohol industry. His craft premium whiskey is sourced from carefully selected whiskey stock and finished under a consummately managed process in a craft distillery just outside the Northern Irish capital, where water is obtained directly from a 300-foot deep well.
(Image: Old Oak)
.One day, the star of Street Fighter discovered Old Oak whiskey during an unplanned encounter with a friend and business colleague. And the rest, as they say, is history.
As it turned out, he adored the drink and made it his mission to get involved in the business.
(Image: Old Oak)
As per The Belfast Telegraph, Van Damme said: “I was looking for my own brand of whiskey, possibly an American bourbon, and then one of my close friends and business associates asked, ‘Why an American whiskey when you can go back to the roots of whiskey and find an Irish one?’
“He then introduced me to the Old Oak whiskey label, which had yet to be launched and had been put together by some Whiskey aficionados in Ireland.”
(Image: Twitter)
The Belgian resonated with the concept of being part of an Irish whiskey, firmly connected with its storied history and incredible legacy.
He explained: “It was also the perfect opportunity to combine two things with which I feel a close affinity …whiskey and its rich heritage and the charisma and warmth of Ireland and its people.
“I loved its aroma and the smoothness on the palate compared to the heavier whiskies I had tasted from different parts of the world.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
