Starbucks routinely releases new product lines, and they usually aren't very shocking. A blended frozen coffee Frappuccino? Sure. Fruit-based caffeinated Refreshers? Why not. But we'd be lying if we said the coffee chain's latest beverage offering didn't have us scratching our heads a bit, as Starbucks has announced the rollout of a new line of olive oil-infused coffees that they're calling Oleato. So what's the story behind this rather puzzling new line of drinks at the ubiquitous coffee shop?
Is Starbucks Oleato really just coffee with olive oil?
Yes. This isn't some gimmick where Starbucks is using an olive oil-flavored syrup or some sort of imitation olive oil flavoring — the chain is straight-up adding Partanna extra virgin olive oil to coffee. At launch, there are three beverages incorporating the common cooking oil into your morning caffeine fix:
- Oleato Caffè Latte: an Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast plus olive oil steamed with oat milk
- Oleato Iced Shaken Espresso: a mix of Blonde Espresso Roast, hazelnut syrup, oat milk and olive oil
- Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew: a cold brew topped with an olive oil-infused vanilla sweet cream foam that Starbucks has dubbed "Golden Foam"
Where did the idea for olive oil in coffee come from?
While it may seem like the act of mixing a spoonful of olive oil in with your morning coffee is some rural Italian tradition, that's not the case. Rather, Starbucks claims the combo was invented by none other than company founder, current interim CEO and former presidential candidate, Howard Schultz. As the story goes, Schultz was traveling in Sicily last year when he was introduced to the regional custom of having a spoonful of olive oil every day. He began doing so in the morning alongside his coffee and then had the idea of mixing them.
"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, somewhat conspiculously name-dropping the particular brand of olive oil that Starbucks is exclusively partnering with on Oleato beverages. Following his discovery, Schultz then apparently returned to Starbucks headquarters in Seattle with the edict to create a new line of beverages around the idea, resulting in the Oleato line.
Where can you get Starbucks Oleato?
The oily line of coffee launched in Italy first back in February with the three aforementioned beverages available across the Mediterranean country's Starbucks stores, along with five additional drinks offered exclusively at The Starbucks Reserve Roastery Milan that use a combination of premium Starbucks Reserve Espresso and, you guessed it, Partanna extra virgin olive oil.
But now, Starbucks Oleato is available in the US of A. The drinks first rolled out to a handful of Starbucks Reserve locations in New York, Seattle and Chicago on March 23, and then on March 27 regular Starbucks stores in Seattle and Los Angeles began selling the drinks. Like in Italy, the Oleato Caffè Latte, Iced Shaken Espresso and Golden Foam Cold Brew are on offer stateside. Customers will also have the option to buy bottles of Partanna extra virgin olive oil at stores that sell Oleato beverages.
What does Starbucks Oleato coffee taste like?
Our managing editor, J.D. DiGiovanni, recently visited a Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle that was offering Oleato drinks. He and his sister, Maria, sampled the three main olive oil-infused drinks. Here are their thoughts.
Starbucks Oleato Caffé Latte
J.D.: This has a softness initially. The olive taste is robust and lingers.
Maria: Smooth, no bitterness, oat milk is an interesting standard, will that be everywhere? The aftertaste is almost soft, olive oil is definitely in there.
Starbucks Oleato Iced Cortado
J.D.: Not as pleasant — the olive oil taste overwhelms a bit here. Olive oil flavor is much more pronounced in this drink. I feel the olive oil on my lips — oily separation after sitting for just a bit. The olive oil taste lingers. Olive oil burps.
Maria: Olive oil floats right on the top, bonus chapstick, olive taste is strong, especially towards the end, where it replaces the coffee taste. Super earthy.
Starbucks Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew
J.D.: This drink is similarly soft. No bitterness. The foam is rich. Smells so strongly of olive oil. The cold foam and smoothness of the olive oil go well together. Leaves a strong aftertaste as well.
Maria: Rich. This also has a strong aftertaste but not as strong as the Cortado; it keeps going. The cold foam lends itself to the smoothness of the olive oil, which is also super earthy.
Overall Starbucks Oleato Tasting Impressions
There is nothing subtle going on with Starbucks’ Oleato drinks.
The Partanna olive oil Starbucks uses in these drinks is very pronounced — both on the palate and in the glass. You can smell the olive oil as you raise a cup to your lips, taste it almost immediately on sipping and see it floating on top of the iced cortado.
Neither my sister nor I were fans of these drinks. It’s not that they were bad per se. They felt well prepared, which makes sense given the ones we ordered were prepared at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle, a cafe known for having great baristas. It’s just that they … well, they tasted too much like olive oil.
The smoothness and earthy flavor are certainly interesting, but having one’s lips and mouth coated in olive oil after sipping a latte is too unappealing. If I’m ordering a coffee, I would prefer it to taste like good coffee. Maybe my sister and I are just not ready for the brave new future Howard Schultz is trying to usher in. Maybe. But probably not. — J.D. DiGiovanni, Managing Editor.
