This recipe for the Oliveto Cocktail is a copy-cat from the Minneapolis craft cocktail lounge, Marvel Bar. The Oliveto combines bright and fragrant extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, gin, Licor 43 (aka Cuarenta y Tres), and an egg white for the smoothest, silkiest, sexiest cocktail you may ever drink.

Oliveto cocktail in coupe glass on round wooden board with metal shaker in background.

You may be thinking, “Olive oil in a cocktail?”.

Trust me, it WORKS. The combination of the acidic lemon juice and frothy egg white, cuts through the oil so you’re left with a beautiful cocktail filled with notes of vanilla, citrus, and a subdued hint of olive oil.

Which Olive Oil Should I Use For The Oliveto?

A trip to the grocery store may leave you dizzy from the plethora of olive oil options available today.

There are exotic flavor-infused oil, and oil from varying locations, such as Greece, California, Italy, Spain, and more.

There are even entire stores devoted to selling just olive oil, such as The Crushed Olive, a local shop near my home.

You may wish to experiment with flavors in The Oliveto, and I encourage you to do so. However, for your first attempt, I recommend sticking to a good quality extra virgin olive oil.

We used Frantoia Olive Oil for this recipe. It is a high-quality oil that is perfect for dressing salads, topping off soups, and drizzling on just about anything in need of some brightness.

The next time I make this, I plan to try it with the blood orange-infused olive oil I recently purchased from The Crushed Olive.

If you happen to make this with an interestingly flavored olive oil, drop us a line below and let us know!

Oh, and if you love olive oil, check out our orange olive oil cake recipe!

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How to Make The Oliveto Cocktail

Begin by gathering your ingredients. You’ll need gin, freshly-squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup, Licor 43, one pasteurized egg white, extra virgin olive oil, and two ice cubes.

There are no garnishes needed for this cocktail because, well, it’s gorgeous enough as is.

You will also need a cocktail shaker, a jigger or measuring tool, and either a coupe, martini, or wine glass.

Note: Before you begin, it’s important to note that prior to adding ice to your shaker, a “dry shake” should take place. This means you will shake your drink without any ice for about 30 seconds to help create the frothy texture the egg white imparts.

Begin to add each of the ingredients to the shaker and give it a dry shake.

Then, add 2 ice cubes and continue to shake until the ice is almost fully dissolved and you no longer hear it clinking in the shaker.

Pour the drink directly into your glass and serve as soon as the foam has risen to the top.

Other Cocktails

If you enjoy craft cocktails, especially ones that have been inspired by craft cocktail lounges, you’ll love the Juliet and Romeo. This is a copy cat of the one poured at the speakeasy-style lounge in Nashville, The Patterson House.

If you found this recipe by way of your affinity for gin-based cocktails, we’ve got a few you’ll want to explore. Check out the Blackberry Bramble, the Lavender French 75, and the Angelo Azzuro. Note: The Juliet and Romeo also uses gin.

Do you have a favorite craft cocktail lounge-inspired drink? Drop us a comment and let us know! We’d love to try and recreate it for you!

If you’ve enjoyed this Oliveto Cocktail recipe or any recipe on this site please let us know in the comments. We would love to hear how you did and it’s nice to show others as well. Thanks!