Olive Garden Sells A Sangria Kit So You Can Make Its Version Of The Cocktail At Home
If you're looking to DIY the Olive Garden experience in your own home, the restaurant chain has you covered to make it a little easier. You can order sauces, house salad, and breadsticks a la carte to take home. You can even ask your server to buy a cheese grater from the restaurant. Olive Garden does not, however, serve its famed sangria to-go.
The takeout menu offers plenty of bottled beers and wines, but Olive Garden's cocktails are noticeably absent. If you want to sip on one of the restaurant's signature beverages, you may just have to dine in — or recreate them at home. Fortunately for those who often find themselves craving a glass of Olive Garden's sangria, the restaurant provides an easy way for you to make it yourself.
One TikTok user shared her experience with the chain's DIY sangria kit in a video. She said that her at-home kit, purchased from the bar at Olive Garden, came "in a sealed bag," and cost $28. Olive Garden sells three different types of sangria, and according to the video, you can purchase any of them to make at home. The apple sangria recipe calls for Primo Amore Moscato, Monin Granny Smith Apple Puree, and cans of Dole pineapple juice.
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Does it make sense to purchase ingredients from Olive Garden?
As previously mentioned, the total cost for the sangria kit was $28 — though the creator also disclosed she was an employee of the restaurant, so it's unclear if that included any employee discounts. She said the berry and watermelon varieties were also available to purchase.
While it may be convenient to buy all the ingredients in one bag, is it cost-effective? Prices for the common ingredients of the sangria may vary depending on where they're purchased. However, when purchased separately, the Primo Amore Moscato typically retails for around $9, while the Monin syrup is $11. The pineapple juice cans are only $5 for a 6-pack — more than you'd get from the restaurant. Even with getting extra juice, the total is still around $26, making it $2 cheaper than buying directly from Olive Garden.
Once you've acquired all the ingredients, no matter if you purchase yourself or from Olive Garden, you can simply ask an Olive Garden employee for the chain's recipe. On the original TikTok video, one self-identified Olive Garden employee commented that their restaurant didn't sell the DIY sangria kits, but that they would print recipes for customers who asked.
The drinks have even won over plenty of diners. One social media user posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: "I rarely drink, but I had a green apple moscato sangria from Olive Garden and I think that might've been the best drink of my life." Another user compared the flavor to that of a green apple Jolly Rancher. One user even said the "to-go sangria mix from Olive Garden is a BLESSING."
Not every location has the DIY kit available
Of course, you'll likely want to finish off every glass with some sliced fruit to add even more flavor to your at-home sangria. Olive Garden does not provide any fruit in its sangria kits, so you'll need to grab the produce elsewhere if you choose to buy the pre-bagged kits. In the restaurant, glasses of sangria are often served with lemon and lime wedges, as well as a whole strawberry. Sometimes, though, fresh fruit is diced up and mixed into the drink itself.
While some Olive Garden locations did confirm that they sell the kits, employees from other restaurant locations noted that they aren't able to offer to sell them to fans of the sangrias. So before heading up to your local Olive Garden, it may be worth it to call ahead and ask. Even those that don't sell the kits might still provide an ingredients list with instructions upon request.
If you aren't a fan of the restaurant's version of the drink, there are plenty of recipes online that can still help you mix up a delicious and easy red sangria. But if you want to try making your own copycat, try contacting your nearest Olive Garden to ask about their cocktail kits.