Into the Mystic: EVOO

Currently In: Phoenix, AZ until January 15
Next up: Tucson on our way to Texas

We drove down to San Tan, AZ to take a tour of an olive mill.

Johnny's friend Teri Hay works there and met us for a few minutes.

We decided to take the tour and learn a little about how olive oil is processed.

Calista, our tour guide, gave us all kinds of information about Queen Creek Olive Mill as well as the process of making olive oil.

There are over 100 acres that were originally planted with 800 trees in 1998. They now have over 7,000 trees on the property.

This is a stone mill that was brought over from Italy. It was never operational at Queen Creek, but is a reminder of their roots.

We could not tour the processing plant because it was operational while we were there, but I liked this sign posted on the plant gate. Apparently, the cat named Olive roams around the place.

There is a specific process to tasting olive oil, the next stop on the tour. First, you warm it up by holding the small cup between your hands to release all of the flavor.

Then you smell it before bottoms up!

Calista finished our class by explaining the different types of olive oil classifications. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the least acidic and meets other chemical and sensory standards. Calista also promoted the different flavors sold in the gift shop!

From the Olive Mill we headed to Chandler to meet Johnny's nephew Jamie, who was in town on business. The local Irish bar, of course.

We were in the historic part of Chandler, so the bar was in the Dougherty Building which was built in 1914. You could see the old ceiling as well as the stone walls.