Coffee with olive oil: Starbucks tempts Italians with two national favorites

22 Feb 2023 --- In what Starbucks calls an “unexpected alchemy,” the US coffee company is infusing its arabica beverages with cold pressed extra virgin olive oil to create a new coffee branded “Oleato.” The company unveiled its drink iteration in Milan and plans to launch in selected markets worldwide throughout this year.

The result is velvety smooth, delicately sweet, and lush coffee that uplifts each cup with new flavor and texture, according to the coffee giant.

“Oleato represents the next revolution in coffee that brings together an alchemy of nature’s finest ingredients – Starbucks arabica coffee beans and Partanna cold pressed extra virgin olive oil,” says Howard Schultz, Starbucks interim CEO.

“Oleato has opened our eyes to fresh new possibilities and a transformational way to enjoy our daily coffee,” he continues.

The company explains that it was inspired by the Italian family tradition of daily enjoying a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil as an uplifting ritual.

Different Oleatos
The beverage will use a spoonful of olive oil from Italian olives from Sicily and consumers will be able to customize their drinks by asking for the added olive oil to be steamed, shaken or blended.

The company unveiled its beverage iteration in Milan and plans to launch in selected markets worldwide throughout this year.“One thing that’s special about Partanna’s olives is their uniquely nutty, slightly sweet flavors – think of that rich smoothness of a buttery caramel, it’s a natural complement to our coffee,” says Amy Dilger, principal beverage developer for Starbucks. 

International customers will be able to select between Oleato Caffè Latte, Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew and Oleato Iced Shaken espresso.

In Italy, consumers will have the additional options to opt for a Oleato Iced Cortado, Oleato with Espresso Martini and Oleato Deconstructed – which has lemon and passionfruit cold foam.

“When creating the beverages, we were inspired by the rich history and origin stories of coffee and olive oil – two of nature’s most transcendent ingredients,” explains Dilger.

“Infusing Starbucks coffee with olive oil yielded a velvety smooth, rich texture, with the buttery, round flavors imparted by the olive oil perfectly pairing with the soft, chocolatey notes of the coffee,” she continues.

By Marc Cervera