Elevating The Farmer And The Table | Citizens Of Soil

Olive oil in a cocktail? Why? Well, olive oil contributes a luxurious and velvety texture to the cocktail. When it is properly incorporated, it can create a silky mouthfeel that enhances the overall drinking experience. With extra virgin olive oil (like the one in front of you today) it has distinct peppery, fruity and sometimes grassy notes which introduces a layer of complexity to a cocktail’s flavour. It can also provide a rich and savoury undertone to the drink. It isn’t just about taste and mouthfeel, it also adds a delightful aromatic element to the cocktail which contributes to the sensory experience and is why it is so great with Everleaf Mountain’s floral notes.

We thought who better to bring an introduction to olive oil in our cocktails than Sarah Vachon, Co-Founder of Citizens of Soil and one of the leading voices is olive oil. As a certified olive oil sommelier, Sarah is formally trained
in tasting, assessing, and sourcing the finest oils in the world - and she's on a mission to educate and shift perceptions around one of the most misunderstood staples in our kitchens. 

While most people see olive oil as a simple cooking staple, Sarah knows it's a nuanced, living product and she’s determined to help consumers understand and appreciate it in the same way they do wine or specialty coffee. In 2020, Sarah and her husband Michael launched Citizens of Soil to shake up olive oil in a space dominated by bland blends, misleading labelling, and mass-produced oils. Since then, Citizens have built a cult following and earned Great Taste Awards for its exceptional flavour. As a sommelier, Sarah doesn’t just select the best olive oils, she teaches people how to taste them, how to pair them, and how to spot quality. Each bottle of Citizens of Soil is designed with education in mind, featuring the name of the farmer, the harvest date, the oil’s acidity level, and tasting notes to help consumers build confidence and curiosity in the kitchen. Unlike other olive oil brands, Citizens of Soil isn’t limited to a single region. Sarah sources from across the Mediterranean, guided by flavour, freshness, and regenerative farming practices rather than geography alone. From the bold, peppery finish of a Tuscan batch to the green, grassy balance of lesser-known regions like Croatia and South Africa. So, how do we taste olive oil? We are going to walk you through it.

• Pour your olive oil in a wine glass.
• Place one hand over the top and one at the bottom to cup the glass. This holds the aroma and warms the oil.
• Swirl the oil around the glass.
• Remove your hand from the top and put your nose in the glass. You can swirl the glass and move your nose from side to side. Here’s what we are looking for...

Fruitiness. It should smell ‘alive’. Not like an old book or metallic or waxy. We’re looking for plant aromas which include:

• Greens like grass and herbs
• Veg like tomatoes and artichokes
• Fruits like banana or apples
• Citrus like lemon
• Nuts like almonds

Cover again, give it a swirl now take a small sip. Do what they do with wine and suck back the oil along the side of your mouth. We’re looking for...

• Bitterness - slightly sharp on the palate. Pepperiness - a tingle in the back of your throat.

As you breathe out your nose, you will get the flavour and fragrance from the oil as they both come together. Having all three elements, whilst being in balance is what makes a stand out oil.

Celebrating Golden Hour with these perfect for sharing recipes. 

Olive Oil Spritz. Bright, bitter and refreshingly unexpected.
50ml Aperitif (Pentire Coastal / Rebels Spritz) | 75ml Alcohol-Free Bubbly | Dash of Soda | Tsp Olive Brine | Citizens of Soil Olive Oil Pipette. 
Build over ice in a wine glass and garnish with a juicy wedge of orange.

Focaccia. 
Choose a tearable loaf soft enough to mop up your olive oil.

Loaded EVOO.
Pour your olive oil into a large, shallow dish. Add fresh herbs (parsley and oregano), nuts (walnuts), lemon zest, parmesan, olives, garlic, spring onion and capers. Mix with sea salt and balsamic vinegar and pop on top of slices of crusty sourdough bread.

Pan Con Tomate. 
Cut an edge off the high quality vine tomatoes and grate them on a box grater until you are left with just the skin. Throw the skin away. Season the pulp with salt. Toast some bread and rub it with a peeled garlic clove. Spoon the tomato pulp over the bread.

Melon & Parma Ham.
Slice a honeydew melon into wedges. Fill the middle hollow part with parma ham. Drizzle with Citizen’s oil and season with salt and pepper.

Figs, Ricotta & Honey. 
Slice your figs in half and lay on a plate with the skin down. Top each one with ricotta and make a little divot. Drizzle some honey and olive oil in each one. Season with a sprinkle or oregano.

Strawberries, Cream & EVOO.
Slice strawberries and top with lightly whipped double cream. Crack some pepper on top and drizzle lightly with some olive oil. 
When I was little, my uncle told me to crack pepper on my strawberries. I remember gasping at the thought. I was always told to try something at least once, so there I was, cracking pepper on my strawberries. I still often do it today (with people gasping at me this time). It brings out all the flavour. Try it. Do you this too? DM me and let me know!

Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake.
Simply use instead of butter and use olive oil - the Mediterranean way. Serves 8.

Ingredients.
170ml Olive Oil | 70g Good Quality Cocoa Powder | 120ml Boiling Water | 1 TBSP Vanilla Extract | 165g All Purpose Flour | ½ Tsp Baking Soda | 1 Tsp Sea Salt | 195g Sugar | 3 Large Eggs | Pinchful Sea Salt

Method.
Pre-heat the oven to 165oC. Grease a 23cm tin with a little olive oil and line with parchment paper.
Sift the cocoa powder into a medium bowl and whisk the boiling water until smooth. Whisk the vanilla then set aside to cool.

3. Take a large bowl and mix the flour, baking soda and salt.

4. Beat together the olive oil, sugar and eggs until you have a light fluffy cream.

5. Pour in the cocoa and vanilla mixture. Slowly add the flour mixture until it is evenly incorporated.

6. Pour the batter into the tin and sprinkle with the flaky salt.

7. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Let it cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

8. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche.

Fleur De Sel.

Olive oil enhances the flavour of ice cream creating something more complex.

Drizzle some oil and some salt crumbs over your favourite ice cream. Quality ice cream is the best.

The Dirty Once Cocktail.

60ml Olive Oil Infused Everleaf Marine* | 15ml Lemon Juice | 15ml Sugar Syrup | 3-4 Drops Olive Oil 

Add the first 3 ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake hard until combined and well chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with drops of olive oil.

*Combine 150ml Everleaf Marine (or a non-alc gin of your choosing) with 20ml Olive Oil and freeze overnight. Remove from freezer and remove the solidified olive oil. Strain the remaining liquid using a strainer repeating until no visible remnants of olive oil.

Citrus Spritz.

Pour 50ml citrus based alcohol-free spirit such as; CROSSIP Fresh (20ml), Pentire Adrift, Mahala Botanical, Mother Root, Tarquin’s, Everleaf Forest,

Top with Mediterranean tonic and ice. Stir and add a few drops of Olive Oil and a sprig of thyme.