Food & Cooking
The first vodka made with extra virgin olive oil in Italy is being released in Liguria, with the creator stating that the olive oil gives the vodka a “velvety texture.” The addition of olive oil to alcoholic products is not a new concept, as innovators have been incorporating it into cocktails and liquors for years.
The first vodka made with extra virgin olive oil in Italy is being released in the northern region of Liguria.
Thomas Cuberli, the inventor of Olioo and chief executive director of the Genoa-based Compagnia di San Giorgio, said that the right amount of extra virgin olive oil gives the vodka a “velvety texture,” a new dimension for the centuries-old spirit.
We look for high-quality products based on high-quality raw materials. Our goal is to have these distillates make Liguria more popular beyond the regional and national borders.- Thomas Cuberli, chief executive director, Compagnia di San Giorgio
Cuberli added the new product might also further boost the popularity of the most high-quality food products of Genoa and the wider region, where the extra virgin olive oils come from a century-old tradition.
Liguria also has a well-established tradition of producing artisanal liquors from olive leaves or extracts.
See Also:On Table Olives and CocktailsThe same distillate producer had already mixed renowned local food products with other popular spirits in recent years, including basil-infused gin and pine nut vermouth.
“We look for high-quality products based on high-quality raw materials,” Cuberli told IlSole24Ore. “Our goal is to have these distillates make Liguria more popular beyond the regional and national borders.”
In a press release, Compagnia di San Giorgio said that “before serving, Olioo vodka has to be shaken, not stirred,” a nod to how fictional British spy James Bond prefers his own martinis.
According to the company, the extra virgin olive oil drops are manually poured into each Olioo bottle.
The addition of olive notes to an alcoholic product is hardly a novelty. In December, a beer producer in central Italy launched Birra Oleo, which includes olive leaves in the brewing process.
Meanwhile, innovators have found a precious ally in extra virgin olive oil for years when it comes to distillates and liquors.
Massimo D’Addezio, an award-winning bartender at Rome’s Chorus Café, has also modified some popular cocktails, such as his Bloody Mary, enriching them with fresh Datterino tomato, green peppers and extra virgin olive oil.
A few years ago, the renowned London bartender Philip Hanson made the rounds with “The Oliveto,” a newly conceived cocktail based on extra virgin olive oil mixed with gin, fresh lemon and egg white.
The Italian innovator Valentina Bertello, a bartender at the Guerrini dal 1958 winebar, has also incorporated extra virgin olive oil into some of her cocktails.
One is based on rum and requires extra virgin olive oil to be sprayed on the glass when serving. The second adds a delicate central Italian extra virgin olive oil to a gin, Campari, crème de cassis, lemon, pink grapefruit juice and sage recipe.
More articles on: cooking with olive oil, extra virgin olive oil, Italy
Nov. 4, 2024
Starbucks Abandons Olive Oil-Infused Coffee Line Oleato in North America
The decision comes as the company reported a third consecutive quarter of declining sales and seeks to streamline its menu.
Dec. 10, 2024
Italian Producers Grapple with Market Instability
Record olive oil imports paired with lowered yields have compounded the worries of the sector.
Jul. 10, 2024
Understanding the Positive Effects of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Cardiovascular Diseases
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. Research links extra virgin olive oil consumption with better heart health.
Jul. 30, 2024
Tunisian Quality on The World Stage
Tunisian extra virgin olive oil brands earned 26 awards at the 2024 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, capping off a successful harvest in the country.
Mar. 26, 2025
Using Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Olive Mill Byproducts to Create Healthy Snacks
Researchers use extra virgin olive oil and a proprietary olive mill byproduct to bake polyphenol-enriched crackers.
Aug. 26, 2024
First-Time Winners Describe Perks of World Competition Awards
Access to global markets, regional promotion and motivation to keep improving are some benefits described by first-time NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition winners.
Aug. 19, 2024
The Many Values in Recovering Abandoned Olive Groves in Tuscany
Fil Bucchino, Andrea Pagliai and Gionni Pruneti produce extra virgin olive oil from recovered trees to benefit communities and the environment.
Jun. 10, 2024
French Producers Celebrate Award-Winning Finish to Bumper Harvest
While France produced 5,500 tons of olive oil in the 2023/24 crop year, farmers and millers in France earned 14 awards at the World Competition.