KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 — Extra virgin venti, anyone?
The world’s largest coffee chain Starbucks is launching a line of olive oil-infused drinks in Italy.
Chief executive officer Howard Schultz said olive oil’s “unexpected, velvety, buttery flavour... enhanced the coffee and lingers beautifully on the palate.”
Starbucks is among the major US businesses that have faced obstacles as they tried to expand into the Italian food and drinks market, the BBC reported.
Italy’s coffee scene is famous for its independent and often family-run cafes.
Starbucks currently has around 20 outlets in the country.
“Now, there’s going to be people who say, olive oil in coffee? But the proof is in the cup,” Schultz said on the company’s website.
“In over 40 years, I can’t remember a moment in time where I’ve been more excited, more enthused,” he added.
The company plans to bring the selection of hot and iced drinks to stores in Southern California in the US this spring.
The UK, Middle East and Japan are set to follow later this year.
The Oleato range, which will be launched today in Italy, features an iced shaken espresso and a latte with olive oil “steamed with oat milk”.
Oleato means with oil in Italian.
The idea was born from a trip that Schultz took to Italy this summer, where he witnessed Sicilians drinking olive oil as a daily ritual.
He, too, began drinking olive oil alongside his daily coffee and decided that Starbucks should try to mix the two together.
Starbucks will also offer customers a cold brew coffee in which “a silky infusion of Partanna extra virgin oil with vanilla sweet cream foam... slowly cascades through the beverage”.
