Step into another dimension when you visit Olio Tasting Room. This unique shop in Old Town Alexandria will tickle your taste buds and surprise you with an array of olive oils, aged balsamics and a large selection of foodie delights, many of which are produced locally.
As you stroll through the store sampling extra virgin olive oils from around the world and a variety of infused flavors of olive oils and balsamics, you can’t help but be in awe of the numerous other food-fun products available. The shop carries everything from pappardelle pasta and sauces, olives and tapenade, to loose teas and honey. That’s just to mention a few!
Allergies starting to get you down? One of the store’s most popular products is locally made honey from Backyard Farm in Gainesville, VA. This raw honey’s benefits go beyond the culinary and gustatory delights. The honey is 100% pure – unpasteurized, unheated and non-processed. This means you get all the goodness from a bee’s nectar-laden diet. All the natural vitamins and living enzymes are preserved when the honey is in its raw state. As long as you have the pure, undiluted golden liquid, then the gains are numerous. Raw honey promotes incredible digestive health and also acts as a powerful antioxidant. There is no doubt it strengthens the immune system and is believed to help eliminate allergies. When it’s in stock, it flies off the shelf!
Some like it “hot and spicy”! Olio can deliver! In the shop you can taste all six of Crum’s hot sauces, produced next door in Del Ray, VA. This veteran-owned company uses only the highest quality natural ingredients. Start out cool with the “Cool Cucumber Jalapeno” and finish off bold and hot with some “Grit” – made with roasted scorpion peppers. It will blow you away!
Skin needing a little attention? Olio has your back! Refresh your skin with bar soaps, hand lotions and body butter from Panacea and Farmette Life which are a unique addition to the store’s predominately “foodie” display. Sample the lotions and body butter before you browse and taste the oils and vinegars. Your skin will feel great and you’ll smell good as well!
The products mentioned above are just a small sampling of what you will find at Olio. The store provides free tastings on the weekends using various products and features local vendors. A typical month will include Saturday afternoon tastings such as: Truffle Oil Parmesan Popcorn; Peach Habanero Salsa (using Crum’s hot sauce); Balsamic BBQ sauces and marinades; and Lemon Olive Oil Gelato (Yes! Gelato made with olive oil!). Recipes are provided and free!
Sound yummy? What are you waiting for? Come visit Olio Tasting Room at 1223 King Street!
I love this shop for myself, as well as for putting gift baskets together for others. Glad you are here!
This store has the best LOCAL honey around! I have really bad allergies this year and none of the antihistamines really did the job without side effects. Olio carries this honey from a local farm in Gainsville, VA (I think). I take a tea spoon once a day and I can actually smell the roses without sneezing!!! YAY! Also, the oil and vinegar pairings the staff showed me really opened my eyes to some great EASY dinners. If you can, I really recommend stopping in and chatting with the staff…. And they usually have something delicious around 😉