On January 30, Starbucks Oleato beverages will be available at all of their stores across Canada. Oleato (Italian for oil or oiled) combines Starbucks coffee (the Blonde Espresso Roast specifically) and Partanna extra virgin olive oil for an elevated coffee experience. Starbucks is launching two new beverages to support the Canadian debut: Golden Foam Iced Shaken Espresso with Toffeenut and Oleato Oat Latte.
So why olive oil and coffee? According to Starbucks, Founder Howard Schultz was introduced to the Mediterranean custom of taking a spoonful of olive oil each day. He started taking a spoonful of olive oil in addition to his morning coffee every morning. He then had the idea of combing the two together and the rest is history.
Coffee and Olives – More Similar Than You Think
Partanna created a highly curated blend of extra virgin olive oil from Mediterranean olives, including the high-quality Nocellara del Belice (also called Castelvetrano) olives from Partanna, Sicily exclusively for Starbucks.
Starbucks shared that the more that they learned about olives, the more that they could see the synergies with coffee:
“The more we learned, the more that we could see that the flavours were complimentary. Coffee and olives have similar origins. The varietals and where they are grown all factor into the flavours of both.” Starbucks continued, “How you process coffee is important to the flavour profile and attributes. It’s the same for olives. The Castelvetrano olives are cold pressed within hours of picking which makes a huge difference in the flavour and the quality of the product.”
The Oleato Line Up
Oleato Golden Foam Iced Shaken Espresso with Toffeenut: Starbucks Blonde espresso combined with toffeenut and oat beverage, topped with vanilla sweet cream infused with Partanna extra virgin olive oil.
Oleato Oat Latte: Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast,infused with Partanna extra virgin olive oil and steamed with oat beverage. Available iced or hot.
Oleato Golden Foam: Vanilla sweet cream infused with a spoonful of Partanna extra virgin olive oil.
The Taste
I had the chance to sample both the Oleato Oat Latte and the Oleato Golden Foam Iced Shaken Espresso with Toffeenut. I had originally tried the latte at the Starbucks Roastery in Chicago in the summer. It tastes like a creamier version of a traditional latte but it really mellows out the acidity from the coffee. If you really concentrate, you can taste a hint of olive oil, but it isn’t over-powering. You will definitely feel more full after drinking the beverage and if you like bullet-proof coffee (AKA coffee with butter), this is a better for you version.
The Oleato Golden Foam Iced Shaken Espresso with Toffeenut is a delicious sweet treat. I could definitely smell the olive oil, but I didn’t taste it. The other flavours including toffee and vanilla really stand out in the rich, creamy beverage. It is definitely a treat with 17g of fat for the Grande size with an additional 12g of sugar. At Starbucks, you can customize the beverage so if you are watching your sugar intake, half of the Toffeenut syrup.
