Istria: An Olive Oil Mixology Experience with Cocktails

Among the olive groves of southern Istria, we discover olive oil from an unexpected perspective. What begins with a walk among the trees and an introduction to the mill evolves into a playful mixology session, where local spirits and extra virgin olive oil become the ingredients for cocktails of our own making. 

The Experience

From Grove to Glass

We begin among the olive trees overlooking the Brijuni Islands, learning how olive cultivation has shaped this part of Istria for centuries. A visit to the mill follows, introducing us to the contemporary process that transforms freshly harvested olives into extra virgin olive oil. 

Discovering Olive Oil Differently

Inside the dedicated tasting room, we are guided through the aromas, flavours and characteristics of premium extra virgin olive oil. It is a sensory introduction designed to help us understand what distinguishes different oils before taking those flavours somewhere rather less traditional. 

Mixing Our Own Olive Oil Cocktails

The final part is where the experience becomes particularly distinctive. Using spirits from local Istrian distilleries alongside extra virgin olive oil, we learn to create three different cocktails ourselves. Small bites accompany the drinks, turning the tasting into a relaxed mixology experience rooted in the flavours of the region. Each guest also leaves with a branded cocktail shaker. 

What Awaits

• Walk through the Istrian olive groves
  
• Introduction to olive cultivation and production
  
• Visit to the working olive mill
  
• Expert-guided extra virgin olive oil tasting
  
• Hands-on cocktail-making experience
  
• Three olive-oil-infused cocktails
  
• Spirits from local distilleries
  
• Small bites alongside the cocktails
  
• Cocktail shaker to take home
  

Beyond the Experience

For those drawn further into Istrian gastronomy, other experiences at the estate explore olive oil alongside local wines, traditional bites and contemporary tapas. The experience itself is reserved for adults aged eighteen and over. 

An Invitation

Olive oil may be one of Istria’s oldest traditions, but here we experience it in an entirely new way. We wander through the groves, learn to taste the oil properly, then step behind the bar to shake, mix and experiment with local spirits. It is playful, social and unexpected—a contemporary celebration of an ingredient deeply rooted in the Istrian landscape.