Experimental: Marvel Bar’s Oliveto

The Oliveto, made famous by Marvel Bar in Minneapolis, MN, was the first drink that made me appreciate the creativity that goes into a great drink. The drink tastes like a lemon meringue pie, with a foamy texture from the egg white and a nice tartness from the lemon juice. The surprise ingredient in this drink is olive oil, which provides a richness to the drink, but without the oily texture. Marvel Bar makes the drink with Almazara Perales olive oil from Spain, but you can substitute any full-bodied extra virgin olive oil. Other than the simple syrup, the Spanish liqueur Licor 43 adds sweetness and a hint of vanilla. Since Licor 43 isn’t commonly used in cocktails, I would try to find the smallest bottle available. After playing around with the ratios, I believe that the type of olive oil used affects the sourness of the drink, so you may have to tweak the amount of lemon juice depending on your level of desired sourness.

Marvel Bar’s Oliveto Recipe (1 serving)

• 2 oz. dry gin
• 0.5 oz. extra virgin olive oil
• 0.5 oz. lemon juice
• 0.25 oz. Licor 43
• 0.25 ounces of 2:1 simple syrup
• 1 egg white from a large egg

Equipment

• Cocktail shaker
• Jigger
• Citrus press
• Hawthorne strainer (optional)
• Coupe glass

Directions

1. Cut the lemon in half and use the citrus press to squeeze 0.5 ounces of juice and pour into the shaker
2. Add the simple syrup, Licor 43, olive oil, and gin to the shaker
3. Separate 1 egg white and add to the shaker
4. Seal the shaker and hard shake the mixture without ice for 5-10 seconds (this method is also known as a dry shake and is typically recommended for any drinks containing egg whites)
5. Open the shaker, add 4 pieces of ice, and reseal the shaker
6. Shake hard for 20 seconds and use the Hawthorn strainer to pour the drink into a Coupe glass (for more foam, pour the drink directly into the glass)

Cheers!