The origin of the story dates back to the early Renaissance period in Florence, Italy.
The leading family in the region was the wealthy and powerful Medici Family, led by their famous patriarch, Lorenzo the Magnificent.

The Medici family's wealth was based on the large amount of land they owned which was worked tirelessly by the peasants from nearby villages. Considered to be benevolent landowners by the locals, the Medici loved to throw large festivals in celebration of almost anything.

It is said that Lorenzo's younger brother, Guiliano, especially enjoyed doing this.
He was easily convinced to throw a celebration, at even the slightest suggestion.
Their only serious rival for power at this time was the Pazzi Family.
The Pazzi's attempted to gain power in the usual method for the time... ASSASSINATION.

The Pazzi Family had plotted to kill members of the Medici Family on many occasions. But this time they schemed to kill Guiliano the night after one of his festivals. They assumed, due to the consumption of copious amounts of wine, he and his bodyguards would be most vulnerable at this moment. So they had someone suggest to Guiliano that he throw a festival in the small village of Gallina, where one had never been thrown before. Guiliano agreed, and in the fall of 1478, he and his entourage of bodyguards, cooks, tailors, artists, entertainers, and craftsmen of various trades went to Gallina (which no longer exists today) to throw a festival.

The plan was for the hired assassins to sneak into town late at night and kill Guiliano and his guards. It probably would have worked too, if it wasn't for those meddling kids!!...well, more accurately, meddling roosters! As luck would have it, the plan missed one critical detail, the fields and yards around Gallina were occupied by a large amount of free roaming roosters.

So of course, as roosters do when disturbed in the wee hours, they went crazy... cackling, crowing, flapping around in a great frenzy. This startled the assassins so much that they froze in panic. It also woke Guiliano and his entourage, who were able to quickly capture and execute the hired killers.

Guiliano was so thrilled that the town's roosters had warned him, and saved his life, that he threw another festival the following evening. He ordered his artisans to create ceramic replicas of the rooster and adorn them with various designs to be used as wine vessels. He gave these to the peasants and his friends for good luck in warding off assassins.

Eventually, after a few more futile attempts to kill Medici family members, the Pazzi's plans were finally exposed. The members of the Pazzi family were either executed or exiled, and their fortunes were confiscated. It has since become tradition to give a rooster pitcher to a friend or family member as a wedding or housewarming gift. You may have even seen one in your mother or grandmother's kitchen.

They are a symbol of good luck and are intended to protect the recipient from trespassers and danger. Lucky Rooster was born out of this same tradition, in regard to family, community, and hand-crafted product, with a major dose of old-fashioned luck mixed in. Now we hope you never need protection from assassins.

Nevertheless, it is our intent to share our great food, hospitality, and good fortune with you, our guests.

Welcome to Lucky Rooster Kitchen & Cocktails.