You Like a' the Juice?

To celebrate my graduation from college in May of 1996, my mother took me and my girlfriend at the time to the Olive Garden. The nearest location was more than 30 miles away, but the one who birthed me felt it would be well worth it. I'd never been there, but was up to giving it a shot. I've never been a fan of pasta, so opted for the pizza. It wasn't bad.

A few months later, I was newly dating my wife-to-be. We loved driving to LaCrosse that summer; going to a movie and the Italian eatery. One afternoon while there, I saw that they had white grape juice. Wondering what it tasted like and thinking it might be good, I ordered it and found it to be delicious. They served it in a small glass, so I typically ordered two refills while there. My beloved started calling it our love juice (insert joke, if you're so inclined).

There was an older waiter who frequently took our order. He became part of the tradition of our visits there. One weekend in 1997, I asked our favorite server for another hit of white grape. A moment later, he came out with the following in his hand:

My jaw dropped somewhat. Here I'd thought it had been some exotic brand, not necessarily from Italy, but certainly not a confection made by Welch's. My partner admitted surprise that our "love juice" could be bought at any major grocery store. After that, the juice lost its luster a tad though it still tasted the same. The item is no longer on the Olive Garden menu.