Starbucks takes coffee to a new level with Oleato

A new coffee ritual called Oleato has been introduced by Starbucks, which involves infusing Starbucks arabica coffee with Partanna cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. The blend was carefully selected to perfectly complement Starbucks coffee and create a velvety smooth, delicately sweet, and lush coffee experience. The Oleato beverage platform includes Oleato™ Caffè Latte, Oleato™ Golden Foam™ Cold Brew, and Oleato™ Iced Shaken Espresso, and will be launched in Starbucks stores in Italy on February 22.

In addition, the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Milan will debut five beverages: Oleato™ Caffè Latte, Oleato™ Iced Cortado, Oleato™ Golden Foam™ Cold Brew, Oleato™ Deconstructed, and Oleato™ Golden Foam™ Espresso Martini. Starbucks plans to introduce the beverages in select markets around the world, starting with Southern California in the United States this spring, followed by Japan, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom later this year.

Howard Schultz, Starbucks’ interim CEO, expressed his inspiration for Oleato, citing his 1983 trip to Milan, where he observed the sense of community, connection, and passion for coffee in the city’s espresso bars. Schultz stated that Oleato represents the next revolution in coffee, combining nature’s finest ingredients in a groundbreaking way. Starbucks’ search for inspiration led them to Partanna, an Italian extra virgin olive oil brand with a 100-year tradition of farming and crafting premium extra virgin olive oil, after discovering the family tradition of consuming a spoonful of olive oil each day in some Italian regions.

Schultz emphasized his enthusiasm for Oleato, stating that the product opened new possibilities for Starbucks, much like his initial inspiration for the company 40 years ago.

Partanna, an Italian extra virgin olive oil brand with more than 100 years of tradition, created a highly curated blend of extra virgin olive oil from the finest Mediterranean olives, including the high-quality Nocellara del Belice olives from Partanna, Sicily. The blend was selected to perfectly complement Starbucks coffee and create a unique coffee experience. Customers in select markets will be able to add a press of Partanna extra virgin olive oil as customization to select beverages, which will be infused (steamed, shaken, or blended) into the drinks, as well as add Golden Foam as a topping on both hot and cold beverages.

The Starbucks Reserve Roastery Milan has introduced five new Starbucks Reserve Oleato beverages, designed to complement the Starbucks Reserve coffee perfectly. The beverages include the Oleato™ Caffè Latte, which combines Starbucks Reserve Espresso and creamy oatmilk infused with Partanna extra virgin olive oil, creating a luscious latte. The Oleato™ Iced Cortado is made with demerara syrup, a dash of orange bitters and oatmilk, Starbucks Reserve Espresso, and Partanna extra virgin olive oil, served over ice and finished with an orange peel. The Oleato™ Golden Foam™ Cold Brew is lightly sweetened with demerara syrup, infused with Partanna extra virgin olive oil cold foam, and finished with a subtle sweetness and inviting aroma. The Oleato™ Deconstructed pairs Starbucks Reserve Espresso and Partanna extra virgin olive oil infused with luxurious passionfruit cold foam, while the Oleato™ Golden Foam™ Espresso Martini features Starbucks Reserve Espresso, vodka, and vanilla bean syrup, topped with golden foam – a fusion of fior di latte (sweet cream) and Partanna extra virgin olive oil.

According to Amy Dilger, principal beverage developer for Starbucks, the rich history and origin stories of coffee and olive oil inspired the creation of the new beverages. Infusing Starbucks coffee with olive oil created a velvety smooth, rich texture, with the buttery, round flavors of the olive oil perfectly complementing the soft, chocolatey notes of the coffee. Dilger also noted that the uniquely nutty, slightly sweet flavors of Partanna’s olives make them a natural complement to Starbucks coffee, providing a luxurious, textural experience for customers, whether they choose to enjoy Oleato hot or cold.