McDonald's Brought Back Its Shamrock Shakes Early This Year — Here's What to Expect
McDonald's Shamrock Shake had been a cult favorite for several years before it finally became a nationwide offering in 2012.
Updated Feb. 23 2024, 11:58 a.m. ET
After a seemingly endless gloomy winter, I start looking forward to (slightly) warmer weather, St. Patrick's Day celebrations, and — most importantly — McDonald's Shamrock Shake.
The bright green beverage is a springtime staple for fast food fanatics across the globe, and this year, the Golden Arches actually made their shakes available two weeks earlier than usual — Feb. 5!
Read on for what you can expect from both of McDonald's Shamrock Shake flavors this year.
First, we have the new Oreo Shamrock Shake McFlurry.
Back in 2020, McDonald's quite literally started shaking things up with a new offering that takes the OG Shamrock Shake to the next level. It's called the Oreo Shamrock Shake McFlurry, and trust me, it's unlike anything McDonald's has ever offered.
The Oreo Shamrock Shake McFlurry essentially combines the iconic Oreo McFlurry with a peppermint milkshake, blending creamy vanilla soft serve with mint flavoring and Oreo cookie crumbles. Taking on a McFlurry texture rather than a milkshake texture, per the brand, you'll scoop it out with a spoon as opposed to sipping it through a straw. It's definitely heartier than the original shake, so dive in with an appetite.
Then, of course, we have the original Shamrock Shake flavor.
Obviously, McDonald's could never ditch the OG Shamrock Shake flavor — the Shamrock Shake is totally timeless, and tastes like everything we love about springtime and St. Paddy's Day festivities. For those who haven't had it, though, let me fill you in on what to expect.
According to McDonald's, the original Shamrock Shake is made with rich vanilla soft serve ice cream, which is blended with minty Shamrock Shake flavoring. Then, it's topped off with a "whipped topping" for that picture-perfect ~lewk.~
The Shamrock Shake has been a nationwide offering for more than a decade.
McDonald's Shamrock Shake had been a cult favorite for several years before it finally became a nationwide offering in 2012, according to a McDonald's blog post. And prior to its nationwide availability, fans had created a website to track down where you could find it. Now, fans can simply go to their local restaurant and pick them up.
This year, both of McDonald's Shamrock Shake flavors became available in restaurants as of Feb. 5. So definitely get yours while you can — every fan knows the sweet treat is only around for a limited time (usually about a month, though fans had an two additional weeks this time!) before it disappears for another full year ... truly heartbreaking for customers worldwide.
Choosing between McDonald's two Shamrock Shake offerings can be tough, so between you and me, I'll probably just order both... and TBH, I won't regret it in the slightest.
