A drizzle of olive oil is thick – functioning as a precious ally to transform an ordinary dish into something truly satisfying: legume soups, a juicy fillet of beef, a freshly seared tuna fillet on the grill. Or perhaps a nice cocktail. You read that right: Olive oil – only the highest-quality varieties, of course – is ready to make its decisive leap into the world of mixology. To take its place on stage between bitters and spirits. A bit extreme? Maybe, but it's just one more step into the wonderful world of mixology potential, after all.
"With the evolution of taste, we bartenders try to find alternative solutions – so that with our cocktails, our guests can live their very own authentic experience,” says Mattia Pastori, twice elected “Best Bartender of Italy” in the Diageo Reserve World Cup and now founder of Non Solo Cocktails. "If we start to consider the mouth not only as an organ of taste but also as an organ of touch, oil is an element that suits us, because it changes the texture of what we are going to drink, making it more creamy – smoother on the palate. The fat of this ingredient also prolongs this sensation.”
Of course, being a rather unusual ingredient for the world of cocktails, it is essential to use it in the most correct way – keeping its flavor and its peculiar physical characteristics in mind. Starting with its specific weight (something we’ve all known since primary school), olive oil is lighter than water. "The problem when we use oil in mixology," continues Mattia Pastori, "is how to mix it. I use two methods, for example. The first one uses the ‘fat washing’ technique, which involves a first phase of infusion, followed by freezing all the liquid and then separating it: Thanks to this procedure, the scent and the aromatic element of the oil transfers to the cocktail. The second method, instead, starts with an emulsion with liqueurs, obtained by creating air bubbles with an aerator, through which it is possible to obtain a single liquid. In this way, the two elements bind together, and the result can be easily used in mixing.” So – here are a few ideas for preparing excellent cocktails at home, enriched with the addition of olive oil.
Super Dry Spritz
Super Dry Spritz
This recipe was developed by Mattia Pastori for the Japanese brand Asahi beers during the last Ein Prosit in Udine.
Ingredients:
10 cl Asahi Super Dry Beer
5 cl olive oil and bergamot rosolio emulsion
Method:
Mix ingredients in a wine glass with plenty of ice. Serve cold.
Garlic Bloody Mary
Garlic Bloody Mary
A cocktail with a strong flavor. Perfect for Bloody Mary lovers looking for an extra pinch of spice – proposed by the experts at Zucchi.
Ingredients:
18 cl tomato juice
9 cl vodka
3 cl lemon juice
Tabasco
Worcestershire sauce
Extra-virgin olive oil flavored with garlic
Salt and pepper
Method:
Put the ice cubes in a shaker. Add tomato juice, vodka and lemon juice. Add a couple of drops of tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and garlic-flavored extra-virgin olive oil. Shake vigorously for a few seconds. Pour the cocktail into a glass. Season with a pinch of salt and ground pepper. Stir and serve.
Oil and Green Pepper Tabasco Spritz
Oil and Green Pepper Tabasco Spritz
This recipe bears the signature of star chef Claudio Sadler, and is taken from Giovanni Zucchi's book “L'olio non cresce sugli alberi” (“Oil doesn’t grow on trees” in English). The idea – as you can see from the quantity of ingredients – is to create an alternative spritz for an aperitif among friends.
Ingredients:
750 ml prosecco
400 ml Aperol
50 g white chocolate
50 g maltodextrin
30 ml extra-virgin olive oil*
30 ml Zucchi lemon-flavored extra-virgin olive oil dressing
2 lime peels
Green Tabasco
Pour the maltodextrin into a saucepan. Add Italian extra-virgin olive oil and lemon-flavored extra-virgin olive oil. Heat over a medium flame, stirring with a whisk until the mixture becomes soft and voluminous. Melt the white chocolate and brush it on the top edge of the glasses. Dip the edges in the oil powder, so that it sticks, and keep the glasses in a cold place. Place a few ice cubes in each glass. Pour the Aperol into a pitcher. Add 2 drops of green tabasco, grated lime and prosecco. Stirring with the appropriate ladle and pour into glasses to serve.
*We suggest Zucchi olive oil for this recipe. It’s 100% Italian and sustainably produced.