The coffee company is rolling out a new line called Oleato,
one of its biggest product launches to date. The coffee concoctions,
including both iced and hot drinks, contain a spoonful of Partanna extra virgin olive oil, about 120 calories' worth.
For the initial launch, there will be three new Oleato
drinks. First up is the Oleato Caffè Latte, which is a Blonde Espresso Roast,
infused with oil and steamed with creamy oatmilk. Starbucks is describing the
drink as “velvety smooth” and “lush.”
Next is the Oleato Iced Shaken Espresso, which has notes of
hazelnut and creamy oat milk infused with the oil. Lastly, the Oleato Golden Foam Cold
Brew is a dark, smooth cold brew with a layer of green-tinged oil-infused cold
foam on top.
These drinks will debut in North America in Southern California
this season with a wider U.S. rollout to follow.
Before it comes to America, Milan has gotten a first crack
at the drink line. Milan is where the first Italian Starbucks opened, a Reserve
Roastery in 2018. The company has expanded through Italy with the solo espresso
as the number one drink.
At the Milan Roastery, Starbucks serves a slightly different
lineup. Beginning on Feb. 22, the Oleato Caffé Latte, Oleato Golden
Foam Cold Brew and the Oleato Iced Cortado, which, in true Italian
fashion, is coffee with a dash of orange bitters and a sprinkle of orange
peel. There’s also the Oleato Deconstructed, with a demitasse of espresso,
a press of olive oil and passionfruit cold foam and the Oleato Golden
Foam Espresso Martini.
Where did the company’s sudden obsession with olive oil come
from, though? Starbucks interim CEO Howard Schultz, who first purchased the
company in the 1980s and turned it into an Italian-style café serving
espresso-based drinks, began a daily practice of consuming a tablespoon of
olive oil this summer while visiting Sicily, Italy for health reasons. He then
wondered if he could combine his daily coffee habit with his daily olive oil
habit.
Schultz partnered with Tommaso Asaro, chairman of United
Olive Oil, the same man who introduced him to a daily olive oil regimen, to
supply the oil to Starbucks. He then had to work with the beverage team to make
the combination taste good, which is no easy feat as olive oil is not a go-to
coffee additive.
Adding fat to coffee is not a new concept. From cream and
creamer to the previously trendy Bulletproof coffee (where butter is blended
into the brew), the fat helps temper the acidity and add body to the coffee. Olive
oil may be an unrealized-until-now coffee companion with tons of added benefits.
Olive oil is a heart-healthy monosaturated fat, an
antioxidant, an anti-inflammatory and may just ward off some types of cancers.
A big cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, olive oil may well be a healthy
supplement to your diet, especially if it replaces less healthy saturated fats. If it will be a hit at American coffee shops remains to be seen.
The coffee line still needs to come to this side of the pond, but Italy is
one month in. What did Italians think of this combination of their beloved
coffee and olive oil? Early reviews out of Milan are fairly positive. One customer
said the drink was sweeter and “went down smoother.” The oil adds a fruity
brightness to the coffee. For Americans, if we can get past the ick factor, it
may be the greatest thing since sliced bread, or in this case, cold brew.