Olive Oil Coffee
Are we into it or no?
Starbucks Olive Oil Coffee
If I had a dollar for every person that sent us this article I’d be able to take myself out for a very nice lunch!
I think most people know about bulletproof coffee. And olive oil coffee, or Oleato as Starbucks is calling it, is essentially the Mediterranean version of that.
Giuseppe and I decided to give it a go because if anyone is going to drink an oily caffeinated beverage it’s going to be us!
But the thing is there aren’t exactly Starbucks on every corner of Calabria (I’ve only seen two McDonald’s in case you’re wondering). In fact, I doubt there’s a Starbucks south of Milan.
Oleato arrives at Starbucks in the U.S. later this year. LMK how it tastes while going through the drive-through.
If you love random facts like me, then you’ll find this entertaining. The Starbucks Reserve in Milan has over 17k reviews. OKUUUUR.
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Are we into olive oil coffee?
You know what, it’s a choice. And that choice is yours.
We did a few test runs. The first time I totally fuddled the blending and ended up with a layer of oil on top of the coffee but under the foam. LOL, ew.
After that, I got it down pat! The key is to make sure you really foam the extra virgin olive oil into the milk. Or blend the entire drink so the oil fully emulsifies with the beverage.
Apparently, Starbucks infuses the EVOO into the milk/coffee. But as I said we don’t have a Starbucks. Our house, our rules.
The Verdict
Olive oil coffee tastes good, and the texture is lovely. But I’m just not into drinking oiled-up coffee. Sue me. I also feel like it would be much better poured over ice or blended with ice. But since olive oil is a fat, and thus solidifies when it gets too cold, it needs to be super well blended into the coffee/milk before adding ice or chilling.
Giuseppe said, and I quote, “it was okay”. He continued to sip for a bit and then wasn’t upset when I tossed it. Take from that what you will.
This was truly such a fun little experiment that included two of our favorite things in the world. Would love to know your thoughts. Would you or have you tried olive oil coffee? Bulletproof coffee people this is truly your time to shine! Drop a comment below.
Watch us try it
Olive Oil Coffee Recipe
Come on, try it. It’s fun! Both of the recipes are great. We adjusted the amounts of coffee, milk, EVOO to see what we like best. I’m into Test 1 and Giuseppe likes Test 2 (he’s into big coffee right now!!).
Test 1 - Good cup of small coffee (4-ish ounces)
This recipe is for a smaller cappuccino. Like the one you see me make on Instagram stories.
Ingredients
1/4 cup espresso
1 tsp sugar or other desired sweetener
1/4 cup foamed milk
Follow directions in Test 2 : )
Test 2 - Good cup of big coffee (8-ish ounces)
½ cup coffee
⅓ cup steamed milk
1 tsp of sugar or other desired sweetener
Directions
Make coffee as you normally would. If you prefer espresso you can make a single or double shot and then fill the rest with water.
Add the sugar or preferred sweetener to the coffee and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.
In a separate cup steam together the milk and extra virgin olive oil until there’s a nice foam and pour it over the coffee. If you don’t have a steamer then steam/foam the milk first then add in the olive oil. You can blend the milk together with a handheld blender. Or you can pour the entire mixture and the coffee into a blender and blend on low for 30s (this is our preferred method).
Serve hot or over ice!
We added the full recipe to our website, with more details. It’s also printable.
If you’re in the market for an espresso machine (or some skinny tongs) we’ve added some of our favorites to the ‘Things We Really Like’ section of our website.
Are you coming to Calabria?
We’ve taken our first calls and wow it’s so nice chatting with folks that are planning trips to Calabria!
If you didn’t hear, we now offer travel consulting for Calabria.
We want you to have the most beautiful and fulfilling trip to southern Italy. That might look like driving down the coast from Naples to Sicily. Or hopping from Calabria to Basilicata to Puglia. Or maybe you want to find your families roots in the region.
Here’s the thing, Calabria is a big and beautiful region that can be a little tricky to navigate. And that’s where we come in. We can help you plan, build out your itinerary, and make sure you get the most out of your time in southern Italy.
Other News
Calabria Boat Disaster: Tragic news, a ship carrying over 200 migrants and refugees sank due to foul weather off the coast of Cutro. Many are injured, missing, or dead. The coast guard, fire department, guardia di finanzia, and police have been patrolling coastal roads, beaches, ports, and the skies nonstop. The town of Le Castella has erected a cross from the wreckage in the local church. Read more here and here.
World’s Greatest Places, Calabria: Old news but good news. Plus it doesn’t count because we forgot to share! Time Magazine named Calabria one of the World’s Greatest Places. Read more here.
Women’s History Month: Food Brands
In honor of Women’s History Month here’s a lil list of small (under $1M rev) womxn-owned and led brands. LMK if you recognize any or find a brand you really enjoy!
EXAU Olive Oil (the best dang EVOO on the market)
Dairy Lane (dairy free + gluten free snacks)
Everything Elderberry (magic syrups, period)
Ilewa Foods (west African spice blends)
Maya’s Mills (sesame butters)
The Spicy Bean Lab (coffee!!!)
Seeking Ferments (kombucha)
Sergeant T'S Savory Sauces & Spices
Going (partially) paid
We’ve officially launched the paid version of our newsletter. Thank you so much if you’ve already joined <3
I absolutely love sitting down to write to you. This isn’t just a space for EXAU customers or olive oil lovers anymore. It’s grown into a sort of library, where we touch on pop (food) culture, old traditions, travel, and the way food moves through our lives. Having a paid version of our newsletter creates more space and time for us to give you more of that!
None of our work is backed by VC firms or angel investors, it’s just us.
The paid version of our newsletter includes…
Full recipes and new kitchen experiments
Subscriber chats (Q&A)
Travel to Calabria and southern Italy updates and recommendations
More in-depth information about olive oil (usually health focused)
Other things worth mentioning in a more private setting
A paid subscription is $5.55 per month or $60 per year, you receive 10% off if you decide to join for a full year. You can also gift and donate subscriptions! Or buy them for a group : )
Become a paid subscriber by entering your email and upgrading your subscription.
**If you’re unable to pay for a subscription at this time please email us hello@exauoliveoil.com.
A presto!
-Skyler & Giuseppe
P.S. Are you following on TikTok? We’re having fun over there. Also, have you pre-ordered our book, The Olive Oil Enthusiast, yet?
Thank you for taking this bullet for us all!
I'm not opposed to oily drinks (I drank a hot coco with coconut oil after I had a baby- good for loose joints + warm and sweet, super good) but probably as a snobby amateur olive oil aficionado I'd have a hard time envisioning EVOO in a Starbucks drink.....