Have you ever tried olive oil in your coffee? We certainly haven’t, but Starbucks is rolling out three brand new drinks featuring this heart-healthy ingredient, and honestly, we’re pretty intrigued. (P.S., learn more about the health benefits of olive oil here.)
This new platform called Starbucks Oleato not only includes these three olive oil-infused drinks but also will allow customers to add the oil (or an oil-infused cold foam) to a range of other beverages. The Oleato Platform debuted in Italy this week on February 22 and is set to hit the U.S. and other countries later this year.
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Starbucks Oleato
These brand new drinks—the Oleato Caffé Latte, Oleato Iced Shaken Espresso, and Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew—feature cold-pressed Partanna extra virgin olive oil made from high-quality olives straight from Sicily. In fact, Partanna created this special olive oil with Starbucks' Arabica coffee in mind.
The Oleato Caffé Latte features Starbucks Blonde Espresso, steamed oat milk, and, of course, Partanna EVOO. In the Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew, Starbucks' dark cold brew meets a cold foam infused with Partanna's olive oil for a bit of sweetness. Finally, the Oleato Iced Shaken Espresso combines rich espresso, oat milk, sweet hazelnut flavor, and (you guessed it!) Partanna's oil.
In addition to these olive oil-forward drinks, customers in select markets will also be able to add a bit (about a spoonful) of olive oil to other Starbucks beverages, such as lattes. They'll also have the option to add the olive oil-infused Golden Foam featured in the cold brew to a range of beverages.
Starbucks is debuting the “Oleato” — after the Italian word for oil — as the world’s largest coffee chain has struggled to get a foothold in the Italian market. https://t.co/vf7DNwIr1d
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 22, 2023
Fan reactions to olive-oil infused coffee at Starbucks
Although Starbucks' descriptions of these drinks certainly make them sound elevated, European, and possibly even delicious, customers on the internet don't seem to be buying it. Several people on Twitter replied to the Washington Post's article about this new olive oil coffee saying they thought it was parody. "Oops, thought this was the Onion," one wrote.
"That sounds absolutely nauseating. Strange strategy," another person replied. One user slammed the idea by saying it's "Hard to think of a worse name or concept." Yikes!
All in all, there seem to be very few positive reactions to this new rollout. However, people on the keto train have been adding butter to their coffee for a long time now, and we know all about the benefits of olive oil so, hey, we won't knock it 'till we try it. Will you?
