A Brief History of the Shamrock Shake

The humble Shamrock Shake, that green love-it-or-hate-it seasonal treat from McDonald’s that comes out for a limited time every year around St. Patrick’s Day, has gone through several iterations during its 50-plus-year history.

When it was created in 1967 by Hal Rosen, a McDonald’s owner and operator, it was mint-flavored. In 1970, however, a regional lemon-lime version was offered in areas with large Irish-American populations such as Chicago, Boston and New York.

By 1973, McDonald’s had jettisoned the lemon-lime sherbet, and for the next decade, the Shamrock Shake was simply a vanilla shake dyed green, much like the Chicago River on St. Patrick’s Day. This hurt, because some of us grew up with parents who were not willing to pay extra just for something that looked different but tasted the same. This was a dark time.

In 1975, McDonald’s created a new character to hawk this seasonal beverage: Uncle O’Grimacey, the long-lost relative of advertising mascot Grimace who came to visit once a year right around St. Patrick’s Day. This was really convenient and totally not racist at all. It was still just a green-colored vanilla shake, however.

Then, in 1983, someone had an epiphany at McD corporate. Why not make the flavor of the shake match the color? Instead of returning to the lemon-lime flavor, they went way back to the original mint. Everyone rejoiced. Maybe now parents would spring for one of these once a year for their kids. Unfortunately for us, we were no longer 10-year-olds and had to buy our own shakes, and it would be decades before some of us even learned that they had a real flavor and were no longer just green.

Fast forward to 2012 and two important things happen. One, the Shamrock Shake is officially available nationwide. Everyone can enjoy the green now, at least for a limited time while supplies last, please drink responsibly. And two, there’s now a dollop of whipped cream on top. Game changer. It also started coming in a fancier cup with a clear domed top, though we sort of miss the wax-flavored paper cup.

So there you have it. We are currently in Shamrock Shake season, which usually occurs during February and March, so get ’em while you can. When sipping the Green Goodness this season take a moment to think back about what a long, strange trip it’s been to get here, from mint to lemon-lime to vanilla and finally back to mint. We may not have the McDLT anymore, and don’t get us started on the McRib, but at least we’ll always have the Shamrock Shake, now also available in Oreo Shamrock McFlurry form for those who thought the original just wasn’t sweet enough.