Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website Coffee meets olive oil: The story behind Starbucks new coffee ritual – Starbucks Oleato coffee beverages
february 22, 2023 - Starbucks

Coffee meets olive oil: The story behind Starbucks new coffee ritual – Starbucks Oleato coffee beverages

Italy has always been a special place for #starbucks. It was four decades ago that #howardschultz first walked the cobblestone streets of Milan, Italy and experienced the romance of its espresso bars. That visit spurred him to bring the Italian coffeehouse experience to #starbucks and to America, which would grow from just 11 stores to more than 36,000, serving millions of handcrafted beverages each day around the world.

Now Schultz and #starbucks have found inspiration in Italy again, this time in the sun-kissed olive groves of Sicily with the introduction of a new line of beverages, Oleato, #starbucks coffee infused with Partanna extra virgin olive oil. The new beverages are making their debut tomorrow (Feb. 22) at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Milan and in #starbucks stores in Italy, followed by Southern California in the United States this spring.  Later this year select markets in Japan, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom will launch the beverages. The five Oleato™ beverages served at the Milan Roastery are Oleato™ Caffé Latte, Oleato™ Iced Cortado, Oleato™ Golden Foam™ Cold Brew, Oleato™ Deconstructed and Oleato™ Golden Foam™ Espresso Martini. #starbucks stores in Italy will offer Oleato™ Caffè Latte, Oleato™ Iced Shaken Espresso and Oleato™ Golden Foam™ Cold Brew. 

The origins of Oleato

Schultz, currently in Milan for the launch of Oleato, noted how his journey with #starbucks has come full circle with the two milestone moments, one toward the beginning of his career at #starbucks and the other as he is about to step down next month after serving for the last 10 months as #starbucks interim chief executive officer.  

“In 1983, I took my first trip to Italy and discovered the extraordinary relationship that the Italian #people have with the Italian coffee bar, and specifically espresso. I raced back to the United States with a vision and a passion to bring that to #starbucks,” Schultz said.

Last year, Schultz was traveling in Sicily when he discovered something equally dynamic and interesting. After being introduced to the Mediterranean custom of taking a spoonful of olive oil each day, he soon began enjoying a spoonful of Partanna extra virgin olive oil as part of his daily ritual in addition to his morning coffee, and soon he had the idea of trying the two together. What he discovered was a delicious and unexpected alchemy of #starbucks coffee beverages infused with Partanna extra virgin olive oil.

“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 both hot and cold coffee beverages, what it produced was an unexpected, velvety, buttery flavor that enhanced the coffee and lingers beautifully on the palate.”

Making beverage history

Excited by the potential, Schultz brought the discovery back to Seattle and the #starbucks beverage development team. From there, #amydilger, principal #starbucks beverage developer, took on the task of creating beverages for #starbucks customers. Dilger was uniquely qualified for the challenge, having spent a decade in Europe as a patisserie chef and then more than 20 years on the #starbucks food and beverage team, creating customer favorites like Chestnut Praline Latte and Smoked Butterscotch Latte.

Her first step was learning about olives and their deep connection to Italian culture. Of the hundreds of varieties, Partanna’s blend of extra virgin olive oil created for #starbucks includes one of the most coveted – Nocellara del Belice olives (also called Castelvetrano), which are known for their vibrant and buttery flavor. Dilger spoke with the family farmers behind Partanna extra virgin olive oil, who have nurtured these ancient olive trees in their rich Sicilian soil for four generations. She learned how the olives are picked and cold-pressed within hours to preserve their extraordinary flavor.

“As I learned about Partanna extra virgin olive oil, I kept seeing things that reminded me of #starbucks coffee, specifically how the terroir, the origin, and the varietals contribute to the unique flavor and texture,” Dilger said. Although she had never tried combining extra virgin olive oil and coffee before, she thought of other dishes that highlight olive oil, like Greek yogurt with a drizzle of olive oil, olive oil and sea salt ice cream – and of course, olive oil cake.

“One thing that’s special about the Castelvetrano olives is that they are sweet and really buttery,” Dilger said. “I think of all the buttery caramels that we mix with our coffee. That buttery smooth richness combines so well with our coffee.”

Further information in the press release to download

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