Just shy of one year after Starbucks introduced a head-scratching new line of olive-oil coffees in Italy, the company is making them available in all of its locations.
The company’s Oleato line, which includes Partanna extra virgin olive oil among its ingredients, is now available at Starbucks locations in the U.S. And Canada, following a successful rollout in other markets, including Japan, the Middle East, and the U.K.
Six new beverages are on the menu, including the Oleato Golden Foam Iced Shaken Espresso With Toffeenut and Oleato Caffe Latte With Oatmilk. In addition, four cold foam versions are available.
The fusion of olive oil and coffee was pushed by Starbucks then-CEO Howard Schultz after he tried the combination in Sicily in 2022, adding a spoonful of oil to his morning cup of Joe. Upon his return to the U.S., he ordered the company’s beverage development team to begin working on a drink line around the combination. (The oil is steamed or shaken with oat milk to give it a creamier texture.)
“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 a statement last year. “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.”
While Starbucks has been thrilled with the response to the Oleato line, some customers have reported some issues with digesting it.
Soon after the drink debuted, one Reddit user wrote “…half the team tried it yesterday and a few ended up…Needing to use the restroom, if ya know what I mean.”
While some people who have tried the drink said it was better than expected, others are more concerned about the aftereffects.
If you wanna be brave and try Oleato today, make sure you have ample time for spending a good bit of your evening in the bathroom
— makenna kennedy (@aye_its_mak) January 30, 2024
The fact that anyone let Oleato get past the 'what if?' Phase is a crime. It's an abomination in concept and execution both.
— LuminousShift (@LuminousShift) January 29, 2024
Do not try it if you have an even barely sensitive stomach you -will- be on the way to the bathroom.
I hate this.
