Starbucks Will Soon Start Adding Olive Oil to Its Coffee—Here’s Where You Can Try It First

Olive oil and coffee doesn’t really seem like a natural combo, but Starbucks wants you to give it a try. The coffee chain just announced a new line of olive oil-infused drinks, Oleato. The name is a play on the Latin word for “olive” and the Italian word meaning “with oil.” It’s the brainchild of interim CEO Howard Schultz, who adopted the daily Mediterranean custom of taking a spoonful of olive oil each day after traveling in Sicily last year. He began combining that ritual with his morning coffee, and then eventually started combining the two. 

“I was absolutely stunned at the unique flavor and texture created when the Partanna extra virgin olive oil was infused into Starbucks coffee,” Schultz said in a press release. “In both hot and cold coffee beverages, what it produced was an unexpected, velvety, buttery flavor that enhanced the coffee and lingers beautifully on the palate.” For Schultz, who is set to step down in April, it’s a full-circle moment in his Starbucks career. On his first trip to Italy in 1983, he discovered the magic of Italian coffee bars and wanted to bring that vibe and feeling back to Starbucks.

While adding oil or fats to coffee isn’t exactly a new concept, the Oleato line of drinks sure has some intriguing flavors—all infused with Italian brand Partanna extra virgin olive oil. There are three offerings at regular Starbucks stores:

Courtesy of Starbucks

Oleato Caffè Latte: It is “simple and elegant, made with Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast and Partanna extra virgin olive oil steamed with oatmilk to create the most luscious of lattes.”

Courtesy of Starbucks

Oleato Iced Shaken Espresso: It features layers of Starbucks Blonde Roast Espresso, hazelnut syrup, and oatmilk shaken with extra virgin olive oil and ice.

Courtesy of Starbucks

Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew: Cold brew is topped off with a layer of Golden Foam, which is an infusion of extra virgin olive oil and vanilla sweet cream foam.

The Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan is selling its own special lineup of drinks. In addition to the Caffè Latte and Golden Foam Cold Brew, customers can also get the Oleato Iced Cortado (with a dash of orange bitters and an orange peel), Oleato Deconstructed (a demitasse of espresso and olive oil, topped with passionfruit cold foam), and Oleato Golden Foam Espresso Martini (espresso, vodka, and vanilla bean syrup topped with golden foam).

Right now, the new drinks are only available in Italian Starbucks shops, but luckily for us in the West, we’ll get to try them very soon. They’ll make their debut in Southern California this spring. And other select markets in Japan, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom will get to experience the beverages later this year.

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