Bull in China founders/partners Lucas Plant, Daniel Osbourne, and Katie Burnett are all service industry veterans who came together to create their burgeoning barware brand out of one part shared passion and one part coincidence – or at least that’s how they paint it. I believe that the three are too modest about their achievements, all of which are a product of incredibly hard work and devotion to making barware for bartenders by bartenders.
Although Burnett says that Bull in China (or “BIC”) is simply a “scrappy start-up,” the brand is quickly rising to meteoric success. Already in daily use at many of the country’s most iconic bars, including Portland’s own Multnomah Whisk{e}y Library, Kask, Victoria, and John Gorham’s establishments, Bull in China is becoming hard to miss if you follow cocktail culture.
BIC continues to successfully mine the vast landscape of artisans and producers filling unique niches in the food and beverage world. They recently collaborated with Plum Tree Jam on a Thanksgiving cocktail that features Plum Tree’s Spiced Cranberry Jam, and regularly consult with new bars and restaurants on their cocktail menus and training bar staff (including Epif Restaurant & Pisco Lounge, and Bollywood Theatre). They even offer insight via a column for industry job site Poached.
Originally created as an outlet for selling Plant’s vast collection of vintage barware, Bull in China has grown significantly over the past few years. Their products were created out of a genuine need for barware that was both more reliable and more aesthetically pleasing than the current market offerings, and that aim has remained true.
Plant explained to me that during the research and development of their products, the team would expose the prototypes to extreme conditions like moving the mixing glass from the freezer to the dishwasher in a matter of seconds–a practice that would normally cause glass to crack or even explode. After proving that the products could hold up to the fast-paced life behind the bar, the team put them into production with confidence. With all of their barware made within five miles of their headquarters in Northwest Portland, BIC works with glass blowers, metal workers, and wood workers (many of whom had never even considering constructing barware previously) to create a truly local set of products.
Bull in China has created not simply an incredibly functional and beautiful barware line; they have fostered a culture of curiosity, exploration, and passion for the professional and the home bartender. That accessibility is something defines them, and something they have vowed to remain true to. And while they have also vowed to become “the Williams-Sonoma of bartenders,” I cannot imagine a Bull in China that did not remain passionate, personable, and accessible, even in the face of skyrocketing popularity.
Bull in China barware is available for purchase at their showroom by appointment, on their website, and at Workshop Vintage and House Spirits Distillery. Their blog, Instagram, and Facebook page all include updates to their whereabouts and fun upcoming events.
Inspired by my chat with Bull in China’s Luke and Katie, I tried my hand at creating a cocktail or two as preparation for my own holiday celebrations. Although not nearly as perfectly seasonal as their New Tradition cocktail, my Nonino Sour balances sweet, sour, and bitter in a way that feels befitting of any celebratory occasion. Similarly to a Paper Airplane, the Nonino Sour marries the sweetness of bourbon with the herbaceous qualities of amari, but goes above and beyond with the classic addition of egg white, shaken to perfection. Note that because of the fact that Nonino is on the sweeter end of the amaro spectrum, additional sweetener is not needed in this cocktail. Cheers!
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Nonino Sour:
1.5 oz Amaro Nonino
1 oz Bourbon (I used Angel’s Envy)
1 oz fresh lemon juice
.5 oz egg white
Shake all ingredients first without ice until frothy, then shake a second time with ice. Bull in China’s Shaken Cocktail Set has all of the barware you’ll need for this. Strain, and then serve up with a lemon peel and pickled cherry garnish. Cheers!
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