By Gene Fisch, Jr.

GAEA has recently introduced an array of olive oils which include a pre-made martini mix that is ready to be down and dirty! The perfect martini awaits in your living room and the mix puts you in a position as a mixologist to make James Bond proud. Whether you enjoy your martinis shaken or stirred, GAEA has create a premed mix that only requires the vodka of choice.

The GAEA mix has two varieties at the ready:

With only 2-3 ingredients per flavor, they are specially formulated to accompany vodka and gin. The Dirty Martini Juices are a perfect accompaniment to Gaea olives and boast a 2-year shelf life, yielding 10 martinis per bottle.

GAEA Dirty Martini Juice for Vodka contains olive brine infused with sweet and hot red peppers.

GAEA Dirty Martini Juice for Gin contains olive brine blended with coriander.

Not to be forgotten, an array of olive oils are the bellwether products at GAEA. As a lover of food, this aspect of their product line was the true draw for me. Having sampled the organic version of their portfolio the verdict is that it goes quite well with seafood though do be prepared to enjoy the strong flavor that will permeate the fish. Go light at first until you have a feel for what is best for your pallet.

The next big test is to consider the differences between organic to non-organic which was exciting for me. Being entirely honest, I'm not entirely sure that I'm able to distinguish the two by taste if I were to compare similar flavor profiles of oils. I would be curious to see a more scientific breakdown differentiating the two and how one is grown / treated versus the other (something to look forward to).

KALAMATA Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The P.D.O. region of KALAMATA in the southwest Peloponnese, overlooking the Ionian Sea is a vast olive grove and the land that gave birth to the most sought-after world famous “Koroneiki” olive variety. Used solely for the production of this cold extracted superior category olive oil, the fresh, green handpicked Koroneiki olives deliver an extremely well-balanced oil with a unique pepper and almond aftertaste.

Flavor Profile: An intense aroma of green banana and perennial herbs and a bright peppery flavor of fresh green olives rich in antioxidants.