What Makes Olive Garden's Italian Margarita Unique?
While the classic margarita has Mexican roots, the cocktail has found popularity with bar patrons all over the world. The tequila and lime-based beverage is often served on the cocktail menu in many restaurants (with Mexican food or otherwise). One Italian-inspired chain restaurant has added their own twist on the drink, however.
At Olive Garden, you can order a few different cocktails, including what they call an "Italian Margarita." The drink includes the classic tequila base, using Jose Cuervo Especial Silver tequila. (Customers can also opt to upgrade the liquor to Patron Silver.) Triple sec is also added in. However, instead of lime juice, Olive Garden swaps in a different alcohol on the side.
Amaretto is a sweet liquor with Italian origins. The drink has a rich and complex flavor, with notes of apricots, sugar, and a hint of nuttiness reminiscent of almonds (which may actually be from the apricot kernels). The addition of the amaretto is what gives the Olive Garden drink its Italian implication, since the liquor is most often enjoyed as a dessert beverage in Italy.
The amaretto can be enjoyed one of two ways
When dining in an Olive Garden restaurant, the amaretto is actually served separately in its own shot glass. The margarita can be ordered on the rocks or blended (as is typical for the drink), but to blend the amaretto in, you'll have to make the request via your server. Otherwise, the liquor is served on the side. From there, you can pour and mix it into the margarita yourself, or sipped as a chaser to contrast the triple sec and tequila.
The Italian Margarita isn't the only drink that Olive Garden has put its own twist on. It's part of the Italian-inspired cocktails menu, which features several different beverage options. That menu also includes the Blue Amalfi cocktail is a bright blue drink, named for a seaside town in Italy. It contains blue curacao, vodka, and lemonade. The beverage is inspired by the Blue Lagoon cocktail, which is made of the exact same ingredients.
You can make your own version of the drink at home
If you aren't a fan of Olive Garden's food, but you're still intrigued by the cocktail, it's fortunately fairly easy to make at home — you'll just need to make a small substitution to a classic margarita recipe. Add two ounces of tequila and an ounce of triple sec into your cocktail shaker, omitting the lime juice. The liquid can then be shaken and poured over ice, or blended with it for a slushy consistency.
While Olive Garden hasn't officially stated how much amaretto they serve with the tequila, a shot glass is typically around an ounce to an ounce and a half (though sizes can vary). The amaretto can then be served on the side, or mixed into your cocktail — just like at the restaurant. If you're still craving a little bit of a citrus twist, you can add an orange wedge to the rim of the glass to finish it off.
Although amaretto may be a slightly unusual addition into a margarita, the drink is pretty popular among diners. The next time you dine in at Olive Garden — or when you just want to switch things up when making cocktails at home — try making the swap and tasting something new.