Sarah Dealy/Chowhound
Olive Garden seems to be a universal hometown experience for those growing up in the U.S. — a hotspot for high schoolers looking for a prom dinner date destination, or an easy option when it comes to chowing down on pasta. The chain retains a cult following for its unlimited breadsticks and refillable soup or salad with your entree. It’s definitely a perk to know you won’t leave hungry after ordering as many tasty refills as you like.
Besides its perks, pastas, and various fried appetizers that are the perfect companions to a drink, Olive Garden has some signature cocktails (in addition to the wine menu) that are worth checking out. If you’re wondering what drink to order next time you head to the chain to indulge in a plate of Shrimp Fritto Misto, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to try them all and rank them from least to most enjoyable.
8. Blue Capri
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The Blue Capri is eye-catching with its iridescent blue color and bright citrus garnish. But similar to its appearance, it tastes like a juice drink you would serve to a child. A one-trick pony flavor-wise, the coconut rum used as its base overpowers any other semblance of complexity with its strong artificial taste. The blue curaçao, despite being an orange-flavored liqueur, seems to only be there for the color and doesn’t do much to even things out. It may remind you of drinking cheap perfume or perhaps scented suntan lotion: The difference between the citrus juice and pineapple juice is so completely lost.
If you love artificial coconut flavor, don’t let me stop you. But this cocktail was one I couldn’t bring myself to have more than a few sips of. It reminded me too much of a skincare product or a cheap candle because of the way it’s flavored.
7. Strawberry Limoncello Margarita
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The presentation of this margarita is on point. It makes you think of sunny beaches, relaxing under umbrellas in laid-back recliners, and taking a load off. The rim is sugared, and you can enjoy a plump strawberry garnish to boot. For me, the drink was simply way too sweet, almost to the point where you can’t tell that there’s alcohol in it. Given the addition of limoncello, a liqueur that is more syrupy-sweet than citrus-forward, I shouldn’t have been surprised. The margarita is already indulgent with the strawberry flavoring, and the sugary limoncello just makes it overwhelming.
The margarita aspect also takes second place in the sense that the tequila and citrus juice (if there is any) go unnoticed. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you will probably enjoy this. It’s fruity and fun, and you can’t taste the tequila at all — a red flag for me, but perhaps the goal for others.
6. Amaretto Sour
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While I do love amaretto — the sweet, almond-flavored Italian liqueur can add nuttiness and a rounded complexity to many drinks, including refreshing ginger ale cocktails and boozy hot chocolates – this cocktail from Olive Garden just isn’t appropriately named. Typically, a sour would be just that — sour, with the citrus combination taking center stage. This drink is more like an Amaretto Sweet, leaning into the richness of the liqueur despite the menu saying it’s a combination of Amaretto and sour mix. Perhaps it could use another spirit to bring things down a notch. The nuttiness of amaretto is delicious, but the balance just isn’t there — all you taste is liqueur.
I think a splash of soda water or adding some vodka would make the drink more balanced. Still, it’s not as sweet as the Strawberry Limoncello, and has a much more pleasant flavor than the artificial coconut of the Blue Capri. There are better drinks to order, though (and if you love amaretto, you’ll love the number-one-ranked drink on this list).
5. Sicilian Sunset
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The Sicilian Sunset is a stunning magenta that, while similar in its vivid hue to the Blue Capri, is a bit more unusual to find in a cocktail and perhaps a bit more interesting. I’m not sure where the color comes from — the drink is composed of New Amsterdam vodka, prickly pear lemonade, and pineapple juice. It was pretty good, a nice middle ground on this list. I wouldn’t necessarily rush to order it again, but I wouldn’t be mad if it was placed in front of me.
The sprig of mint used as a garnish adds a breath of cooling scent when you first sip and is the perfect herb to make this drink more light and refreshing. The vodka is barely noticeable in the background, but just noticeable enough that you won’t get this cocktail confused with a child’s juice drink. I wish it contained less pineapple juice and more prickly pear, as the flavor of Dole is the strongest note. But there is some complexity to this cocktail, if a bit faint. It’s overall a refreshing, fruit-forward drink, and the most balanced flavor-wise of any on the list so far.
4. Italian Rum Punch
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I’m a sucker for a good tiki drink, and this one has the fixings of a craveable cocktail — Bacardi Silver rum, amaretto, and strawberry passion fruit flavoring. It’s definitely the Olive Garden version of a tiki drink (how tiki can you really expect it to be coming from an Italian chain restaurant?), but sippable nonetheless.
The strength that a typical tiki drink would pack is a bit watered down, and the strawberry is a lot more prevalent than the tropical passion fruit flavor I adore, which is why this wasn’t ranked amongst my top three favorites. But the flavors are the most enjoyable of any yet listed in this ranking, and I could easily sip the whole thing and be satisfied (and not overly sugar-loaded). It doesn’t come with overpowering, artificial flavors, and isn’t so sweet as to leave you nursing a headache shortly after.
3. Peach Bellini
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The Peach Bellini is hardly an Olive Garden original — this classic cocktail was invented in Venice, Italy, over 75 years ago, and, as you might expect of such a long-loved drink, it has quite a fascinating history. The Bellini could be considered a cousin of the mimosa, made with Prosecco, a sparkling white wine that is the Italian version of champagne, and peach purée rather than orange juice.
It’s light, simple, and utterly delicious. The only reason I didn’t rank it higher on this list is to give credit to the few Olive Garden original cocktails that I enjoyed. Seeing as this drink is rather simple and common, and fairly light in ABV when it comes to a cocktail list, it seems that someone might be more interested in trying the cocktails Olive Garden makes with actual liquor (although a few Bellinis will certainly give you a buzz).
2. Spiked Strawberry Lemonade
When you’re looking for a drink that will keep you refreshed and satisfied on a gentle summer day (or spring, or fall, or … you get the idea), you can never go wrong with a spiked lemonade. Despite the name, this Olive Garden version actually has some passion fruit added alongside the strawberry. This touch makes it a bit more intriguing than a typical spiked lemonade, and the mint and strawberry garnishes round the cocktail out to a cool, crushable drink. New Amsterdam vodka is the star of the show, masked just enough by the sweet and tart lemonade but not totally lost — you won’t be left wondering if your lemonade is actually spiked. Vodka is typically the spirit of choice with spiked lemonades, although I love to swap it out for tequila if you’re looking for a bit more flavor.
This cocktail is a strong second place. It didn’t quite make the top spot, given that it’s a bit simple (though oftentimes the best things are), but it is definitely a straightforward, well-balanced, and highly enjoyable drink.
1. Italian Margarita
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Just from the ingredients listed, I had a great feeling about the Italian Margarita. Jose Cuervo (a controversial tequila, but certainly not the worst Olive Garden could be using), triple sec, and a shot of amaretto on the side that’s meant to float on top of the drink. You may enjoy taking a sip of the amaretto to try its sweet, nutty flavor on its own, but pouring it on top of the margarita is the way to go.
The flavors blend seamlessly — adding amaretto to a margarita is something I never would have envisioned, but it works perfectly. Perhaps it’s that Olive Garden doesn’t use very much sour mix (or perhaps none at all), letting the sweet citrus of the triple sec blend perfectly with the richness of amaretto. I didn’t have very high expectations for Olive Garden’s original cocktails, but this is one I would go to the chain just to order. Who thought an Italian Margarita could be so good?
How I ranked these Olive Garden cocktails
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To rank these drinks, I did my best to be objective while discerning which ones have a flavor with broad appeal. Overly sweet or overly strong drinks are more controversial, while those that ride a nice middle ground and balance all the ingredients are typically more of a crowd pleaser.
Under each drink, I listed why exactly it ranked the way it did. In some cases, such as with the Blue Capri, the big turnoff for me was the overpowering flavor. Choosing the drinks to try was quite easy, as I sampled everything on the cocktail menu. Next time you take a trip to your nearest Olive Garden location, I’d recommend ordering an Italian Margarita or Spiked Strawberry Lemonade alongside your Italian-themed meal.
Dining and Cooking