The Refreshing Off-Menu Drink You Can Order At Olive Garden
There's something so comforting and familiar about Olive Garden. Maybe it's the rustic ambiance, the delicious pasta dishes, or perhaps it's the endless fresh and hot breadsticks. Whatever it is, Olive Garden has become a fast-casual staple in the lives of many Americans. But what happens when you can't find your favorite drink on its ever-changing menu?
If you're an Olive Garden regular, you may have noticed that Italian soda is missing from its lineup of delicious drinks. However, that doesn't mean you can't still enjoy a refreshing glass on your next visit. According to Reader's Digest, you only need to ask your server to custom-make one using the syrup flavors from the Olive Garden lattes or other drinks.
Making Italian soda is easy. Add flavored syrup to a glass of club soda or sparkling water, and — ecco qua! You've recreated a beloved beverage. Or, at least, your bartender or waiter has.
Because they have syrups and soda water, they're likely familiar with the recipe, meaning you can order the off-menu drink and experiment with different flavors using the assortment of syrups from the latte menu. From raspberry and peach to sweet vanilla, here's how to order the best Italian soda you've ever tasted from Olive Garden.
What's Italian soda?
Italian soda is a fizzy and refreshing beverage originating in the United States. That's right — Italian soda doesn't have Italian origins, but it quickly gained popularity due to its simple yet flavorful ingredients. The drink consists of soda water mixed with fruit syrup or cream, sometimes topped with whipped cream and a garnish of fresh fruit or herbs like a citrus peel or even basil or mint.
There are two popular variations of Italian soda: the classic Italian soda, made with fruit or simple syrup, and the Italian cream soda, made with cream. Made from the same carbonated water and flavored syrup used in the Italian soda, the cream soda is also blended with a generous amount of heavy cream, giving it a richer and creamier texture.
Ultimately, the secret to making a perfect Italian soda is the syrup. While you can use any syrup Olive Garden has on hand, opting for Torani syrup, if they have it in stock, will take you back to the source of Italian soda's creation in the roaring '20s. Choose your favorite and have them add some soda water for a delightful summer drink that will transport you to the old-school Italian soda fountain days.
How to order Italian soda at Olive Garden
Regardless of whether you prefer the regular, refreshing Italian soda or are craving a sweeter Italian cream soda for dessert, San Francisco-born Torani offers a range of sweet and tangy syrups, from classic caramel, vanilla, and raspberry to distinctive flavors like chocolate chip cookie dough and French toast.
Olive Garden usually carries at least a few flavors of syrups, even if they don't stock the Torani brand, which means you can order an off-menu Italian or Italian cream soda during your next visit. Start by asking your waiter if you can order an Italian soda to see if they know the recipe.
According to Food, a community-based recipe site (which means we cannot confirm the accuracy of the recipe), someone submitted a recipe for Olive Garden Italian Cream Soda as being "official," which leads us to believe the restaurant chain did serve a similar recipe at one point.
If they're unsure how to make it, ask them to mix 1 cup of your chosen syrup with ½ cup of half-and-half cream and 2 ½ cups of club soda. If you ask nicely, maybe they'll even throw in a dollop of whipped cream or some fresh fruit on top.