Hot Take: Starbucks' Oleato Coffees With Olive Oil Are Delicious

#CoffeeTok, rejoice, because Starbucks is taking the coffee with olive oil trend mainstream. After launching its new “Oleato” line at the Milan Reserve Roastery in February, Starbucks is bringing five specialty coffee drinks made with Partanna extra virgin olive oil to the States — and yes, there’s an olive oil-infused espresso martini in the mix. When I had the chance to try Starbucks’ new Oleato drinks ahead of its U.S. debut, I jumped at the chance to see what they taste like. Is olive oil and coffee the caffeinated mash-up we’ve all been sleeping on?

Starting on Thursday, March 23, Starbucks stans can order the new Oleato drinks at Starbucks Reserve Roasteries in Chicago, New York City, and Seattle, as well as at certain Reserve stores in New York and Seattle. On Monday, March 27, select neighborhood Starbucks shops in Seattle and Los Angeles will also start serving the specialty sips, but with the Blonde Espresso Roast instead of the Starbucks Reserve Espresso.

“Oleato” literally translates to “with oil,” and all five of the new coffees feature Partanna extra virgin olive oil that’s been steamed, shaken, and/or blended into each beverage. Infusing your fave latte or cold brew with olive oil might sound like a franken-creation from TikTok at first, but Starbucks was inspired by the idea of bringing together two pillars of Italian cuisine: olive oil and espresso. Oleato was born, and a few days before its U.S. debut, I stopped at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Chicago to review the five different Oleato olive oil drinks.

Oleato Caffè Latte

Coffee with oatmilk is one of my go-tos, so seeing both the Caffè Latte and Iced Shaken Espresso come with it as the default milk selection was a welcome surprise — and a good initial sign to me that oatmilk and extra virgin olive oil naturally pair well together.

The Oleato Caffè Latte looked like a regular hot latte, although the foam on top looked slightly thicker than usual. Taking my first sip, I immediately tasted the olive oil that had been steamed into the oatmilk topping, but I was pleasantly surprised to find the olive oil wasn’t overpowering and didn’t have the oily finish I’d expected. Instead, it had a subtle nutty taste that added a slightly savory element to the oatmilk.

Each sip of the smooth Starbucks Reserve Roastery espresso paired well with the olive oil-steamed oatmilk foam, giving the drink a velvety, luxe texture overall.

Oleato Iced Latte

A cold version of the first drink, the Oleato Iced Latte looked like a typical iced latte I’d reach for in the summer. At first glance, I noticed that the oatmilk and Partanna olive oil foam looked frothier and more creamy than usual. When tasting, I felt like the flavor of the olive oil was different when infused into an iced beverage instead of steamed into the milk for a hot sip. While still smooth, the oil flavor was less mellow, and after a few big gulps, I felt like I could kind of feel the oiliness of it in the back of my throat.

Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew

Ahead of the tasting, I was most intrigued by Starbucks’ new Golden Foam — Sweet Cream Cold Foam infused with the Partanna extra virgin olive oil. Unlike with the two oatmilk foam drinks, I could tell there was olive oil in the topping just by looking at it. The Golden Foam was a light green color, and it looked very ‘Gram-worthy as it traveled down through the cold brew, creating a gorgeous mix of layers. If you’re looking for the most aesthetic sip out of the bunch, this is definitely it.

Visuals aside, this drink also wowed on the flavor front. When I took a sip, it took a second for the cold brew to come up through the golden foam due to how thick it was. However, once it did, I think the sweetness of the topping paired with the cold brew was perfection, and there was just the slightest hint of olive oil that added some nuttiness to the mixture. TBH, I think I’d be happy eating that Golden Foam topping on its own with a spoon.

Oleato Iced Cortado

My first impression was that the Oleato Iced Cortado looked like more of a whiskey cocktail than a coffee, due to the orange peel on top and the glasses. While I didn’t really taste the olive oil, I was pleasantly surprised by the fresh orange flavor and subtle sweetness from the demerara syrup. The extra olive oil-infused oat milk definitely played second fiddle to the orange bitters and the Starbucks Reserve Espresso, but I really enjoyed the unexpected combo of citrus and coffee.

Oleato Golden Foam Espresso Martini

The Oleato drink I was most excited to try was the extra virgin olive oil-infused espresso martini with Golden Foam, and it didn’t disappoint. While the light green hue of the Golden Foam wasn’t as obvious atop the martini, there was a good amount of it on there. Taste-wise, I felt like the distinct flavors of the espresso martini and the sweetness kind of overpowered the subtle hints of the Partanna extra virgin olive oil in the foam. While I got some slight nut notes with every sip, I wouldn’t have been able to tell there was olive oil in the drink if I hadn’t known. Still, this was a tasty espresso martini I’d happily order one (or three) of at happy hour.