The looming arrival of Saint Patrick’s Day means that — for several weeks beforehand and for as long as I can remember — the venerable Shamrock Shake has returned and is currently available for a limited time at select McDonald’s restaurants…
Shamrock Shakes Have Returned For 2019
…but the lone shake — that frosted light green minty treat which has been sold by McDonald’s for a limited time before Saint Patrick’s Day every year since 1970 — is still standing by itself.
In addition to the original Shamrock Shake in 2017, four additional beverages which had been badged with the Shamrock moniker were introduced to the McCafé lineup — including a Chocolate Shamrock Shake; a Shamrock Chocolate Chip Frappe; a Shamrock Hot Chocolate; and a Shamrock Mocha. They were nowhere to be found last year; and are nowhere to be found this year.
McDonald’s used to advertise Shamrock Shakes in the northeastern United States where I was born and raised. I am not sure if that was a local occurrence; but the shakes have since been available in other parts of the United States for years.
You can read this article pertaining to my experience from 2017 when I decided to purchase two small Shamrock Shakes: the original version and the chocolate mint version. At that time, they cost $1.99 each for the small size; but they are also available in the medium and large sizes.
I do not know how much Shamrock Shakes cost in 2019; so during a rare visit by me to a McDonald’s restaurant a couple of weeks ago to find out, I decided to order a McDouble, which was on sale for one dollar — but I had forgotten its name.
“Do you still have that double cheeseburger on sale for a dollar?” I asked.
“No, the double cheeseburger was never on sale” was the response from the guy behind the counter.
“Oh. Okay,” I replied.
“We do have the McDouble on sale for a dollar.” he said.
“That is what I wanted,” I said. “I would like it with extra pickles and without cheese, please.”
As he was inputting the order, a question came to my mind.
“Wait a minute,” I asked. “What is the difference between a double cheeseburger and a McDouble?”
“The double cheeseburger has two slices of cheese. The McDouble only has one.”
I stood there, stunned. The only difference between two products which are branded separately and distinctly by McDonald’s is one lone slice of American cheese?!? I found that to be bizarre — but I digress. It was time for the question which was the real purpose of me being there.
“Do you have Shamrock Shakes yet?” I asked.
“No,” he replied, “but they should be coming in soon.”
“When?” I asked.
“In a couple of weeks,” he said. “I can’t wait until they come in. I have never tried one.”
“Really?!?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you like mint?”
“Yeah.”
“Then you should like a Shamrock Shake,” I said. “Hope you like it.”
Summary
I remember a time when a Shamrock Shake did not include whipped cream or cherries — but that was when they were served in large waxed paper cups with a plastic top and not in clear plastic cups.
There are recipes available throughout the Internet on how to create a version of the original Shamrock Shake at home — especially as they are not available all year round at McDonald’s for some reason. McDonald’s is not necessarily what first comes to mind if one has a craving for a delicious thick shake; but I have always enjoyed the Shamrock Shake — even though I usually purchase one only once every few years.
As the chocolate version of the Shamrock Shake is basically the addition of the chocolate shake on the bottom layer to the mint on the top layer, I cannot imagine why an employee at McDonald’s could not fulfill a similar request with either vanilla or strawberry added to the mint instead of chocolate — or perhaps in addition to the chocolate — even though they are not officially on the menu. You should be able to try the chocolate version of the Shamrock Shake even though it is not officially a part of the menu in 2019.
If you are interested in enjoying a Shamrock Shake, be aware that not all McDonald’s locations have them yet — or possibly at all — as only participating locations will have them in stock.
Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.
