What Kind Of Alcohol Is Used To Make Olive Garden's Spiked Strawberry Lemonade?

Olive Garden's spiked strawberry lemonade is sweet, tart, and refreshing, just like any strawberry lemonade should be — even the boozy ones. There is, after all, a reason we at the Daily Meal rank it as Olive Garden's best cocktail. As for the booziness, that's thanks to the inclusion of vodka.

Typically, vodka isn't thought of as Italian. It's more closely associated with Russia, a country with very different cuisine and different customs surrounding alcoholic beverages. However, it's well-known that Olive Garden aims for more of an "Italian spin" on its menu rather than truly authentic Italian cuisine. 

Still, vodka isn't exactly a stranger to Italian cuisine. Anyone who has had penne alla vodka knows this. Vodka is also a central ingredient in limoncello, arguably the quintessential Italian digestif. Made by infusing vodka with lemon zest and sugar, limoncello's exact origins are subject to speculation. What is certain, however, is that the after-dinner liqueur is enthusiastically embraced as a distinctly Italian invention. 

Though there are plenty of bad varieties that taste more like rubbing alcohol, vodka should have a clean, neutral flavor. This comes from the unique way it is distilled, which yields a versatile liquor that can serve as a vehicle for a wide variety of tastes. This means it can be a blank canvas for a drink like limoncello, which infuses the natural bitterness of lemons into the vodka.

Vodka's clean flavor also works just as well as the alcoholic component in sweeter beverages. It's true for colas and other sodas and fruit juices. It's also true for cocktails that mix vodka with lemonade and sophisticated recipes like the lemon drop cocktail. It's also true for the strawberry-passion fruit purée blended into Olive Garden's spiked strawberry lemonade.

The spiked strawberry lemonade isn't the only cocktail at Olive Garden that brings together the tastes of lemonade and vodka. Its Blue Amalfi cocktail prominently features lemonade and New Amsterdam vodka. The addition of Blue Curaçao (another liqueur made with citrus fruit) further heightens the bright sweetness.

Other offerings on Olive Garden's drinks menu reflect how broadly the restaurant interprets the notion of "Italian-inspired cocktails." For example, there is little to mark the Blue Amalfi as distinctly Italian apart from its color matching the waters of the Amalfi coast — though it may be a spin on a drink invented elsewhere on the European continent. Meanwhile, the Italian Margarita is made Italian with a splash of amaretto.

Other items are much truer to the Italian originals. For example, there is little to distinguish Olive Garden's Peach Bellini from the one you would order in Venice, though there are surely some mixologists who would object to this comparison. The same can be said for Olive Garden's version of the Rossini.

So, where does the spiked strawberry lemonade fall on the authenticity scale? That's hard to say. Nevertheless, there is no denying that the cocktail is refreshing and satisfying. In any case, Olive Garden's bars are well-stocked, and its diners don't have to limit themselves. The restaurant chain has long prided itself on its wine selection, highlighting its "America's Best Casual Dining Wine List” award from the Monterey Wine Festival. Finally, if you wanted to go the classic route at Olive Garden, you could always ask for a glass of traditional limoncello.