Food & Cooking
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
Jun. 4, 2023
Unveiling the Mystery and Magic Surrounding Tuscany’s Olivo della Strega
Believed to be a gathering place of witches and other mythical creatures, radiocarbon dating confirms the tree may not live for much longer.
Oct. 11, 2023
Small-Scale, Regenerative Farming Drives Quality for Maraviglia in Tuscany
Since 2019, the producer behind Agricola Maraviglia has found a symbiotic balance between nurturing the landscape and producing award-winning olive oil.
May. 30, 2023
Report Reveals Winners, Losers in Spanish Olive Oil Market
Bottlers enjoy the highest net profit margin, farmers and millers earn far less and distributors fare the worst in a new study.
Nov. 20, 2023
Languedoc Extra Virgin Olive Oil Receives PDO Certification
Made from the local Lucques and Olivière varieties, Languedoc becomes France’s ninth extra virgin olive oil to receive Protected Designation of Origin status.
Dec. 5, 2023
An Olive Oil-Centered Curriculum in California Seeks to Help an Ailing County
Despite its agricultural mite, Kern County suffers from elevated levels of food insecurity, obesity and diabetes compared to the rest of the state.
Feb. 29, 2024
Authorities Identify Xylella Strain Infecting Vines, Almonds in Puglia
The new variant was detected in a region already severely affected by Xylella fastidiosa pauca.
Jul. 12, 2023
Phenols More Important than MUFA Content for EVOO Health Benefits, Research Suggests
The phenols in extra virgin olive oil are more important for decreasing blood pressure, improving insulin sensitivity, and promoting weight loss than its fats.
Aug. 24, 2023
Cultural Events in Southern Italy Combine Music, Nature and Olive Oil
The warm Italian summer nights are being brightened by events that combine extra virgin olive oil with artistic and cultural expressions.