The Shamrock Shake is shockingly green and shockingly popular.
We're betting there are still things you don't know about it, though and we're here to dish
on your favorite St. Paddy's Day-themed beverage.
"What do they call an Irish jig at McDonald's?"
"...What?" "the Shamrock Shake!"
Ancient cultures had their own rites and rituals observed to welcome in the springtime and
the modern world has, well...
Shamrock Shakes.
They're a pretty familiar part of our fast food landscape, and that's what makes it extra
surprising that they've only been a nationwide offering since 2012.
That's not a typo, and Business Insider says that's the first year McDonald's made the
move to offering the Shamrock Shake in restaurants from coast to coast.
Until then, it was up to the individual franchise whether or not they would make the extra effort
to offer up this seasonal treat.
In 2011, only about half of all McDonald's were selling Shamrock Shakes, and that's the
very definition of unthinkable.
The Shamrock Shake had a big year in 2012 it's also when the shake was given a bit of
a shakeup, and got topped with whipped cream and a cherry to give it more of a dessert-like
appearance.
So, what does Ireland think of the Shamrock Shake?
They are available in the Emerald Isle, but that doesn't mean they're entirely happy about
it.
In 2017, McDonald's had to apologize to the entire country over an ill-conceived advertisement
that featured a man with red hair wearing a tartan which is Scottish, bee tee dubz playing
the milkshake like a set of bagpipes … which are also Scottish … in front of Stonehenge…
which is in England… while, wait for it… sheep roam around in the background.
So, like… super Irish, huh?
"What you just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard."
The Irish Post reported that an official apology came not long after social media pointed out
that McDonald's had clearly not done their research, leading to enough controversy that
the ad was pulled.
One Twitter user commented, quote, "Are the sheep Irish?
Because nothing else in this picture is."
A formal complaint had been lodged by the Ancient Order of Hibernians, an Irish Catholic
fraternity with its headquarters in the U.S., leading McDonald's to not only apologize but
reaffirm how much they actually love Ireland.
A spokesperson for McDonald's said at the time:
"Please know that McDonald's is strongly supportive of Ireland and respectful of its culture."
Yeah OK.
We all know what a Shamrock Shake tastes like... don't we?
Do some internet browsing, and you'll find there's actually a debate that's raging about
just what a Shamrock Shake tastes like.
Oh, don't you just love the internet?
The Chicago Tribune says that when McDonald's rolled out their new Shamrock Shake flavors
in 2017, they specified the flavor was mint, which is exactly what you expect it to be,
given the color.
Added that year were the Chocolate Shamrock Shake, the Shamrock Chocolate Chip Frappe,
the Shamrock Hot Chocolate, and the Shamrock Mocha... flavor profiles that mix perfectly
with mint.
But some people on the internet don't agree with that mint flavor, saying they can detect
other, non-mint flavors in the Shamrock shake.
The debate on this happening on The Straight Dope boards is a perfect example of the controversy,
with posters claiming they're mint, lime, or just plain old vanilla with green dye added.
Some say the mint flavor is so strong it tastes like toothpaste.
Some people even believe they're all three flavors at once.
Surprisingly, most of them have it right.
It just depends on when they last tasted the Shamrock Shake...
You probably wouldn't even recognize those first Shamrock Shakes as being the same product
now served up every spring at McDonald's.
First of all, they weren't originally called Shamrock Shakes they were the decidedly less
catchy "St. Patrick's Day Green Milkshake."
Straightforward and to the point, maybe, but definitely lacking in creativity.
What was inside of the cup was just as different.
The first few years the green milkshake was sold, starting in 1970, the shake was a weird
concoction of lemon-lime sherbet, vanilla ice cream, and vanilla syrup.
In 1973, they switched to a plain vanilla shake with green coloring.
It wasn't until 1983 that McDonald's unveiled the mint-flavored shake we know and love today.
More than likely, this is where the flavor controversy stems from even though it's remained
unchanged for more than three decades.
The Shamrock Shake once had its own questionably tasteful mascot, and his name was Uncle O'Grimacey.
If the name alone didn't make you cringe, check out this very '70s-quality commercial.
"Uncle O'Grimacey!"
"Hello, boys.
I'm back!
And I'm painting everything green to match the Shamrock Shake!"
Uncle O'Grimacey was a formal part of McDonald's lore, says The Daily Meal, and fortunately,
he was only around for a few years.
He was the Irish uncle of Grimace, and looked exactly like his purple nephew.
The only difference was that Uncle O'Grimacey was, well… green.
He essentially showed up when the Shamrock Shakes did, wore green, and carried a shillelagh...
because, of course he did.
Apparently, not enough people caught on the Uncle O'Grimacey hype, because he disappeared
pretty quickly.
Uncle O'Grimacey was around for Shamrock Shake seasons in 1977 and 1978, and then was never
seen again.
McDonald's only recently added other Shamrock Shake-inspired offerings, and for years, getting
a half-chocolate, half-mint version of the shake was a semi-secret that Hack the Menu
says was given the rather dubious name of the McLeprechaun Shake.
Now that it's an official menu item, people needed to figure out how to make sure they
were getting the optimal ratio of chocolate to mint.
Enter, the STRAW, which Co.
Design says stands for the "Suction Tube for Reverse Axial Withdrawal."
It was designed or, more accurately, engineered by NK Labs, who described the whole scenario
as presenting, quote, "...quite a few engineering and scientific challenges."
They're no slouches either.
They've worked with Google, NASA, and DARPA, and now, they've worked with McDonald's.
With help from around 100 shakes, they engineered a weird, J-shaped straw with some conveniently
placed holes that would ensure the perfect flavor ratio.
You had to be quick to get the original run, as only about 2,000 were distributed across
80 cities.
If you were lucky enough to get one or maybe to score one on eBay it's worth holding on
to all year long just to get that perfect sip of Chocolate Shamrock Shake.
If you happened to be in New York City in 2010 and you came down with a hankerin' for
a Shamrock Shake, Gothamist reports you might have been sorely disappointed.
You can thank Jimmy Fallon for creating a temporary shortage of Shamrock Shakes when
he just went ahead and bought them all.
New York had been without Shamrock Shakes for years they hadn't gone national at this
point and when they finally returned, everyone was overjoyed.
That is, until they sold out pretty quickly, thanks to our favorite late night talk show
host.
How many did Fallon buy?
Lots.
The McDonald's in Union Square reportedly ran out after some madman went in and ordered
100, and if you're wondering how he carried all those through the city streets, well,
you're not alone.
It wasn't immediately clear what was going on, but amid this mysterious shake shortage,
Fallon ended one of his shows by gloating over his own Shamrock Shake, and handing one
out to everyone in the audience.
Mystery solved.
Sure, you're not heading into McDonald's for a Shamrock Shake thinking that it's good for
you, but you might be surprised at just how bad it really is.
According to McDonald's nutritional information, a large Shamrock Shake contains a whopping
790 calories and 22 grams of fat.
A heart-stopping 14 grams of that is saturated fat, and you'll also be putting away 112 grams
of sugar.
It's not all doom and gloom, though.
That same shake will give you about 50 percent of your daily calcium… so that's a plus?
Kinda?
Now, let's put that into perspective.
Order a Big Mac, and you're getting 540 calories and 28 grams of fat, along with less saturated
fat and way less sugar.
Never thought you'd look at a Big Mac as a healthier option, did you?
The 42 says the Shamrock Shake isn't just another pretty dessert, but it also has its
roots in a great cause one that most of us are probably familiar with.
In 1974, a Philadelphia girl named Babe Canuso was diagnosed with leukemia.
After the doctors worked their magic and Babe went home, her father, John, was looking for
a way to help other families in similar situations, especially those who might not have been so
lucky.
Up until that point, parents of sick children were sleeping on cots in hospital hallways.
When those doctors asked John, a home builder, about building a house near the hospital where
parents could stay while their kids were undergoing treatment, the seeds of an idea were planted.
That idea became the Ronald McDonald House, and Canuso raised the money to build that
first house with help from Philadelphia Eagles GM Jimmy Murray.
Murray was already involved with fundraising to help offset the costs of leukemia treatments
a cause he took up after the diagnosis of the daughter of Eagles' tight end Fred Hill.
Murray pitched the idea of a green milkshake fundraiser to tie in with St. Patrick's Day
to McDonald's, and it was a huge success.
"I said, 'Can I get 25 cents from each Shamrock Shake for this house?'
And he said, 'if we give you all the money, can we call it the Ronald McDonald House?'"
Sales were good, funds were raised, and an old fraternity house was bought and remodeled
into the very first Ronald McDonald House.
According to official McDonald's lore, the first Shamrock Shake was sold in Chicago in
1970.
But there's a second version of the tale, and it's told by the Rosen family.
According to Mark Rosen, his father invented the Shamrock Shake four years before its 1970
debut.
The Rosens say they developed the green shake at their Enfield, Connecticut McDonald's as
a special promotional item for St. Patrick's Day.
Patriarch Harold Rosen had experience in the dairy manufacturing business, and his son
says there were a number of different variations on the idea before they settled on the final,
mint-flavored product.
The younger Rosen said he and his family were proud to have the Shamrock Shake associated
with the legacy of the Ronald McDonald House, and adds that the name was designed to not
reveal a flavor, but to be a bit mysterious.
That was to get people in the door, and spark a little bit of curiosity about what this
green bit of deliciousness tastes like.
Even the Smithsonian isn't sure who to give credit for the green shake to, saying it could
be either Rosen in 1966, or McDonald's itself in 1970.
No matter who invented the Shamrock Shake, we're all very glad that they did.
Not every Shamrock Shake you buy is for a good cause beyond your own enjoyment, that
is.
But a lot of them are, because there's a good number of McDonald's locations that still
use them as a fundraising tool.
That connection was very, very visible in 2010 and 2011, when a giant version of the
Shamrock Shake, tipped on its side, was floated down the Chicago River to appear to turn the
river green.
The river was already dyed green, of course, but the big, spilled shake was a reminder
to pick up a shake in support of the Ronald McDonald House.
It worked, says Delish, and it raised about $10,000 each year.
Other franchises have turned Shamrock Shakes into fundraisers for the Ronald McDonald House
on a more local level.
In 2015, San Diego stores donated $1 per Shamrock Shake sold to their local Ronald McDonald
House.
McDonald's locations across central Pennsylvania have done the same thing, donating 25 cents
per shake, and in 2017, Minnesota's KROC announced St. Patrick's Day sales were going to benefit
the House again.
It's not only delicious, but it's usually all to help a great cause.
What's better than that?
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