Starbucks Oleato Caffé Latte with Oatmilk

Olive oil in coffee?!

Recently, I received a push notification from Starbucks — because I have and occasionally use the Starbucks app, although most of the time I brew my own coffee at home, taking it to go, when necessary, in my trusty Zojurishi travel mug — notifying me that there is a new line of drinks available: Starbucks Oleato. I briefly wondered how this was pronounced. Oh-Lee-Toh? But a quick investigation into the matter revealed that the drinks were so named because of the inclusion of olive oil, leading me to believe that it would be pronounced more like Oh-li-ah-toh. Tomato, Oleato. 

Starbucks claims “Oleato is more than a drink. It is a revelation in coffee, one that is luxurious and next-level.” The company says the idea “began in Sicily when Starbucks founder Howard Schultz was introduced to the daily Mediterranean custom of having a spoonful of olive oil. As he sipped his morning coffee, he was inspired to try the two together.” The beverages in the Oleato line are infused with “award-winning Pana extra-virgin olive oil.” I am imagining nonnas turning over in their graves. 

I feel it is my duty to investigate this new line of drinks, so I head off to my nearest Starbucks to give it a try. My local ‘bucks offers an Oleato Caffé Latte with Oatmilk, Iced Chai Tea Latte with Oleato Golden Foam, an Iced Matcha Tea Latte with Oleato Golden Foam, an Oleato Golden Foam Iced Shaken Espresso with Toffeenut, a Dragon Drink Starbucks Refreshers Beverage with Oleato Golden Foam, and a Paradise Drink Starbucks Refreshers Beverage with Oleato Golden Foam. As for “Golden Foam,” if I may steal a line from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, “That’s the name of your sex tape.“

Because it is cold outside, and I am lactose intolerant, I opt for a hot Oleato Caffé Latte with Oatmilk. I don’t actually hate this, I think as I take my first sip. I kind of thought would but I don’t. It definitely does taste like olive oil, in particular a fruity olive oil. I hate to use the word “mouthfeel” but it has a nice mouthfeel because of all the fat in the olive oil. I don’t know if I would get this on a regular basis, but it’s not terrible. It’s not sweet, like a lot of the typical Starbucks seasonal and specialty drinks, so if you’re into an unsweetened coffee drink, I think this is better than the sugary concoctions that they often offer.

Each of the drinks in the Oleato line has a spoonful of olive oil, adding about 120 cal to the drink. Unfortunately, I’m at the age where I am concerned with things like nutrition and caffeine intake. A tall Oleato Caffé Latte with Oatmilk contains 270 calories, 180 of which are from fat (including 2.5 g of saturated fat). However, there are only 4 g of sugar in it (not bad compared to, say a tall pistachio latte with 33 grams of sugar). Is fat or sugar worse for you? The general verdict on that seems to ping-pong back and forth. 

Of course, adding fat to coffee is not new and I’m no stranger to this idea, having tried it before during the bulletproof coffee craze where people were adding MCT oil and grass-fed butter to their coffee. It was supposed to have health benefits, but mostly it gave me a stomachache.

After I drink my Oleato Caffé Latte with Oatmilk, I don’t feel horrible, but I don’t feel great. In fact, I have a little bit of a headache. Although I would usually down a Starbucks coffee pretty quickly, I realize I have about a third of the drink left and that it’s starting to grow cold. It’s also not doing my chronic acid reflux any favors. From now on, I think I’ll stick to having my olive oil in my food and my coffee with my usual non-dairy milk in it.