St. Patrick's Day, for many non-Irish folk, is basically an excuse to wear green, drink beer, and sometimes attend fun parades. But one of the single most fun things about the traditionally-Irish holiday is that the Shamrock Shake finally makes its annual come-back at McDonald's. Its festive green color and creamy peppermint taste is not only hella refreshing, but it's also so delicious... like, even just thinking about it is making me crave one. So if you're wondering whether or not Shamrock Shakes are out yet, the answer is yes, they're already available... because it's really never too early to start celebrating St. Paddy's Day.
For the first time in my life, I feel like I've actually found a lucky four-leaf clover. After way too many long and miserable winter months filled with anticipation and eager waiting, McCafé has officially brought their Shamrock Shake back as of Feb. 21, per a press acquired by Elite Daily. You can't tell, but I'm doing an Irish jig as we speak. The Shamrock Shake will be available for a limited time at participating restaurants, and even though our time together will be short, it's very highly anticipated. I'm already planning my next Mickey-D's trip, because I need one stat.
The Shamrock Shake initially graced the U.S. in all its glory way back in 1970. And, if you haven't already noticed, it has a giant cult following, because it's so good and is only here for a limited time every year (similar to seasonal Starbucks drinks). The Shamrock Shake hasn't been on McDonald's menus since all the way back in March 2017, and even though that was only about a year ago, it's just been way too long.
If you're still somehow a Shamrock Shake virgin, it's probably time to cross tasting one off your list. The Shamrock Shake is made with creamy vanilla soft serve blended with Shamrock Shake syrup, topped with a little whip. If that isn't enough to get you going, I'm not sure what will be. The Shamrock Shake might actually be better than a pot of gold, but I'm not entirely sure... you'll just have try one and see.
You might not be totally sure where your nearest participating McDonald's location might be, and that's OK, because Mickey-D's has your back. Our fave fast food joint actually just released a new app called the “Shamrock Shake Finder app,” which will be available for both iPhones and Androids. After downloading the app, users can not only find participating Shamrock Shake locations, but also trade Shamrock Shake-themed stickers with friends. Plus, if you have an iPhone X, you can use an augmented reality (AR) experience. It's pretty sweet (literally).
Of course, you might be feeling a little too lazy to roll up to an actual McDonald's location, but have no fear. You can actually get a Shamrock Shake delivered right to your door via McDelivery, which is on Uber Eats. Not having to leave my apartment to snag a taste of St. Paddy's Day sounds pretty marvelous, so I'm pretty excited about this.
Last year, McDonald's added four additional flavors of the Shamrock Shake, taking it up a notch. The new tastes combined mint and chocolate (and some even with espresso) in various forms, including flavors like the Chocolate Shamrock Shake, Shamrock Chocolate Chip Frappe, Shamrock Hot Chocolate, and a Shamrock Mocha. Whether there was a cold March day calling for a hot drink, or if a late morning had you craving caffeine, there was seriously no going wrong with any of the Shamrock Shake variations. Sadly, the chocolate versions aren't available this year — but the original shake will do.
