Many people enjoy an olive or two in their Martinis. Whether you do or you don’t, try an Olive Oil Martini.

It’s a relatively new concept developed by the Chile Olive Oil marketing folks, to create a new cocktail experience and showcase the high quality of olive oils from Chile.

A drop of top-quality extra-virgin olive oil is floated atop the drink, adding a bit of fruity olive oil flavor and providing a balm-like slick to the lips.

You can use any premium EVOO you have to mix up a special Father’s Day cocktail. Simply mix your favorite Martini recipe, and float a quarter-teaspoon of oil on top.

Or, try this fusion of a Martini and a Margarita (via the Cointreau), a recipe from Chile Olive Oil:

Ingredients For 1 Drink

 
Preparation

1. MUDDLE the orange segment and basil leaves in a cocktail shaker.

2. ADD vodka, vermouth, Cointreau, simple syrup and olive oil; then add ice and shake well.

3. STRAIN into a martini glass and float a drop of Chilean extra virgin olive oil over the top.

Chile’s unique geography provides valleys to successfully grow any olive cultivar under optimal growing conditions in a Mediterranean-like climate, with cold rainy winters and hot and dry summers.

The country grows Arbequina, Arbusana, Barnea, Coratina, Empeltre, Frantoio, Koroneiqui, Leccino, Manzanilla, Picual and Racimo varieties. The summer heat lets the olives reach optimum maturity, with great fruit expression.

Because of the quality imparted by the climate, the country produces extra virgin oil exclusively. There are no oils that have to be classified in lower rankings such as Virgin or the generic Olive Oil. (See the different types of olive oil.)

Streamlined New World production enables the olives to go from tree to oil in less than twenty-four hours—important to preserve the qualities that enable the oils to be classified as extra-virgin. The olives are picked, cold-pressed and bottled right at the orchard, delivering great freshness.

As a result, Chilean oil has become well known around the world for its quality, racking up awards in internationally recognized olive oil competitions.
 
EXTRA VIRGIN VS. VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Extra Virgins are the fruitiest, finest, most olive-y oils, and are priced at a premium. “Fruity” means that the oils have pleasant, spicy fruit flavors characteristic of fresh ripe or green olives. Ripe fruit yields oils that are milder, aromatic, buttery and floral.

To be classified as Extra Virgin, the olive oil must have low acidity—a maximum free acidity of 0.8%. Anything higher is simply “virgin” olive oil—good enough for cooking but not for savoring.

Chilean extra virgin olive oils have acidity levels as low as 0.2%! Discover more at ChileOliveOil.com.
 
KNOW YOUR OLIVE OIL

Check out these olive oil terms.