Seasonal drinks might be over for many fast food restaurants, but not at McDonalds. The last few months of the year ─ October through January ─ are filled with pumpkin spice, holiday cookie and gingerbread flavors. Now is the time for these fast food restaurants to kick back, relax and get back to the plain orders. McDonald’s is preparing to roll out their seasonal Shamrock Shake.
If you’re anything like me, you wait for this moment all year long. While I do enjoy my pumpkin spice coffee and ice cream, I can’t help but to think about my long lost love, the Shamrock Shake. Not to be dramatic, but I’m pretty sure I consume about 50 shakes each season!
The iconic minty shake made its debut in 1970 in honor of St. Patrick’s Day; however, the original flavor was not minty, but lemon flavored. It wasn’t until the 80s that McDonald’s changed the flavor to what we now know as the fresh minty taste. Over the years, the franchise has released many variations of the shake including a chocolate Shamrock Shake and the Oreo Shamrock McFlurry.
Many of my friends have asked, “why would you drink a toothpaste shake?” But, the shake does not taste anything like toothpaste. The vanilla flavor from the soft serve ice cream can still be tasted which makes the shake not as minty as toothpaste. When made just right, the mint syrup makes a pretty combination with the ice cream as well! If you’d like, you have the option to top the shake off with soft whipped cream. While there are other ingredients, those three are the main ones.
If you have not tried any of the variations of the ice cream dessert, let me be the first to tell you: do not walk, RUN!
The shake usually arrives around mid February and lasts a couple weeks after St. Patrick’s Day. This year some McDonald’s stores have started selling the shake around Feb. 16-17. However, McDonald’s stated that shake has arrived nationwide Feb. 21. If you haven’t ordered your Shamrock shake for the year, you still have time!