The trendiest new ingredient in cocktails is olive oil

Now that fancy pants bartenders are called "mixologists" and are getting top billing, just like star chefs, it is inevitable that more ingredients from the kitchen should make their way into drinks on the bar. Connoisseurs of olive oil know that many of the best ones go down smooth, be a bit fruity and have a wildly peppery finish. That is what is making such extra virgin oils so popular in drinks. That, and the fact that people think it's kind of cool to have EVOO in their cocktail. Olives themselves have long made fine companions to martinis. But these days the oil is showing up in drinks like the Trickle Back, served at The Butterfly in New York. A shot of Bombay Sapphire gin is combined with the same brine that's used in the restaurant’s coleslaw, and served with shaved Parmesan cheese and a float of olive oil on top. At Krescendo in Brooklyn, the EVOlution Cocktail is made with basil-infused gin, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey syrup and egg whites. And it's not just New York. Fact is, olive oil cocktails are popping up on menus around the world. What ingredients are going to be part of the next fad in cocktail culture?