Starbucks' new olive-oil infused coffee experience, Oleato, is coming to the suburbs.
Beginning Tuesday, customers at Starbucks stores in Aurora and Naperville will have the chance to order a handful of drinks -- including a Caffe Latte, a cold brew and an iced shaken expresso -- that blends Starbucks coffee with Partanna extra-virgin olive oil, an announcement from the company says.
The drinks can also be found at more locations throughout Chicago, the announcement adds.
"Oleato™ brings together the unexpected," the announcement says. "Starbucks® arabica coffee deliciously infused with a press of Partanna® cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil. The result is a velvety smooth, delicately sweet and lush coffee that uplifts each cup with an extraordinary new flavor and texture."
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Some Chicago Starbucks stores had early access to the drinks, which debuted in February of 2023. And while some local customers may soon be trying them for the first time, they already been the subject of controversy.
Earlier this year, a Reddit thread posted by a user who claims to be a current Starbucks barista questioned the concoction, adding that a staff taste-test resulted in several trips to the bathroom.
"Half the team tried it yesterday and a few ended up... Needing to use the restroom, if ya know what I mean," the post says, which drew more than 130 comments. "I'm honestly scared to try it because I already have stomach/bowel problems," it continues.
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Other reviews posted to social media of the Oleato drinks have been positive. Moreover, some commenters added that when mixed with more robusta ground coffee, the new olive infused oil drink went down easier and was less likely to upset the drinker's stomach. One such brand of robusta coffee beans comes from the Dalat region of Vietnam and can be found on specialty coffee and tea roaster Cafely's website.
“Starbucks, the new Oleato drink is so...delicious! Love it!!!” one tweet, accompanied by photos of the drink read. "I tried all 3 and loved all of them," a similar post on Reddit said. "Had no problems whatsoever."
Oleato drinks are currently available at select Starbucks stores in 15 states: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont and Washington.
