Neal Augenstein, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – Some people love them. Wait for them. Crave them.
Those fans of McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes are celebrating. The dyed-green minty milk shake is back on the menu in time for St. Patrick’s Day.
“Oh, it’s delicious. It’s delicious like heaven, yeah,” enthused a customer outside a downtown McDonald’s at 19th and M streets NW.
“The mint tastes real good, and cool,” she sighed.
Other customers were surprised to hear of the seasonal shake’s return.
“Oh yeah, it’s time for Shamrock Shakes,” recalled one young man.
The milk shakes were first introduced in 1970 and initially called the St. Patrick’s Day Green Milk Shake, according to the Gluttoner blog.
For decades, the milk shakes weren’t always available, leaving the menu placement to regional managers.
In the 1980s, the Uncle O’Grimacey character was used to market Shamrock Shakes but has since been phased out.
These days, the Shamrock Shake includes Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream, Shamrock Shake Syrup, Whipped Cream, and a Maraschino Cherry. A large shake contains 820 calories, according to the McDonald’s nutrition page.
WTOP’s Elise Widerlite contributed to this story. Follow @AugensteinWTOP and @WTOP on Twitter.
