McDonald’s announced the return of its seasonal Shamrock Shake on Tuesday, signaling the real start of spring in many fans’ eyes. The fast-food chain has been offering this signature green milkshake for 51 years now, and it has new iterations coming this time. The Shamrock Shake will be available at McDonald’s restaurants everywhere on Monday, Feb. 15.
The Shamrock Shake is the first sign of spring for some customers, even after a massive snow storm battered parts of the U.S. this week. For the shake’s 50th anniversary last year, McDonald’s offered a Shamrock Shake-McFlurry mash-up, with cookie pieces floating within. This year, they are changing it up with a Shamrock Oreo McFlurry. The crossover drink will cost $2.30 for a snack size or $3 for a regular, according to a report by TODAY.
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This new milkshake mix is reportedly a blend of vanilla-flavored soft-serve ice cream with the minty Shamrock syrup fans know and love. This is mixed with crushed Oreo cookie pieces for a sweet, crunchie, refreshing treat. The classic Shamrock Shake itself will also be available, whipped cream and all.
Fans await the Shamrock Shake eagerly every year, knowing it will come sometime around St. Patrick’s Day in the U.S., Canada and Ireland. The green milkshake has become one of McDonald’s most iconic products, yet it is still hard for some to wrap their heads around the fact that it has been on the menu for over five decades now.
According to a report by New York Daily News, the Shamrock Shake was first developed in 1970 by Rogers Merchandising in Chicago. The drink had a few false starts and unpopular iterations, combining lemon-lime flavoring with ice cream, sherbet and vanilla syrup. The lemon-lime flavor was phased out by 1973, however, and the mint flavoring took its place.
Early on, the association with St. Patrick’s Day was much more integral to the shake’s marketing as well, but that has dropped off over time. In the 1980s, the company created a new mascot called Uncle O’Grimacey — a green version of their character Grimace, who brought the Shamrock Shake to McDonald’s in March every year. The character did not last long, however.
The Shamrock Shake continues to evolve along with customers, but it’s clear that many around the world have a taste for the minty milkshake when it comes around each year. The Shamrock Shake will be available at participating McDonald’s starting on Monday, Feb. 15.
