The Shamrock Shake is back on McDonald’s menu — temporarily.
Monday marked the official start of the 53rd Shamrock Shake season. Customers can nab the signature Shamrock Shake and the Oreo Shamrock McFlurry at participating locations around the nation for a limited time, while supplies last, according to the Golden Arches.
The green shake is made with vanilla soft serve and McDonald’s secret mint flavoring and topped with whip cream.
The Shamrock Shake’s history dates back to the late 60s. It was first created in 1967 by Hal Rosen, a McDonald’s owner and operator in Connecticut who blended together mint milkshakes for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. In 1970, it debuted in select locations across the U.S. and was considered an “instant success,” according to McDonald’s.
In 1974, shake sales helped fund the very first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia, Pa. The effort started when the 3-year-old daughter of Philadelphia Eagles football player Fred Hill was being treated for leukemia at a local children’s hospital.
Hill and his wife camped out in hospital chairs and benches and saw other parents in the same situation. Local McDonald’s owner/operators donated proceeds from Shamrock Shakes to build the first Ronald McDonald House.
Today, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) continues to keep millions of families with sick children near the care and resources they need all over the world through a network of local chapters and over 1,000 core program
In 2020, during the drink’s 50th anniversary, McDonald’s said it has become a “cult favorite.”
Meanwhile, the OREO Shamrock McFlurry, which McDonald’s first debuted in 2020, is made with vanilla soft serve, mint flavoring, and OREO cookie pieces.
Twitter users are already taking to the social media platform Monday to celebrate the start of McDonald’s annual Shamrock Shake season.
“I’m celebrating #PresidentsDay2023 with my first Shamrock Shake of the season. I’m pretty sure this is just how the Founding Fathers envisioned it,” one user tweeted.
Another wrote, “it’s the most wonderful time of year @McDonalds Shamrock shake time.”
[Written in collaboration with other media outlets with information from the following sources]
