With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Shamrock Shakes - They're Ba-a-a-a-a-ck!!!
()
Uncle O'Grimacey! This year there hasn't been any advertising for that horror of horrors, the Shamrock Shake. But curiosity got the best of me. I headed over to the local McDonalds and ordered one up. The employees gathered to stare at me the way people do when I ask for my tacos extra spicy or I'm about to eat something like pig's ears. I heard one of the employees mumble to the other, "Did you taste it?"
It is just as hideous as I remembered. It is like a blank milkshake that tastes like nothing. You think vanilla is "nothing" but it is surreal when you realize how powerful vanilla is, and how bad "nothing" really is. Hiding under the frothy blandness was just the barest hint of spearmint. Not something half-decent like peppermint, no - spearmint. Girl Scout Thin Mints would run away crying if they knew what a bad name McDonalds was giving to minty treats.
I asked the gathering of employees if all of the McDonalds had Shamrock shakes, or just a few select locations. They just stared at me and shrugged. There were no signs advertising the shakes, and it wasn't even on the menu. Not even the drive-thru menu. It's like their dirty little secret. The only good thing I can report is that they have really tuned down the use of food coloring. In the 70s they put so much food coloring in the Shamrock shake, it was known for turning children's poo bright blue.
Support for LAist comes from
Check out fun retro McDonalds commercials full of minty wrongness after the jump
I'm not an offensive stereotype because I'm not human - I'm a Grimace - what the hell is a Grimace??? Why did they name a character after an unpleasant facial expression?
Nyquil sundaes? Next party for sure!
What? This isn't a bar? Never mind. Can you just put a little whiskey in this? And why not a potato as long as we're going there.
()
I believe you can also order a McGrasshopper - half chocolate, which might have been less disgusting. Or maybe more disgusting. The official, and less appealing name of the mint-chocolate shake is the "Minty Mudbath" in a cross-promotion with Shrek the Third.
Some people LOVE Shamrock shakes and have websites devoted to the minty treat.
Support for LAist comes from
Uncle O'grimacey resides in his home country for eleven months of the year and visits his nephew Grimace in March, bringing with him the incredibly delicious Shamrock Shake.
After reading that quote, I somehow started thinking about William Burroughs and Mugwumps and I saw visions the Shamrock shake being milked from O'grimacey's numerous teats, hidden in the folds of his enormous green blubber. And I just about lost my shake.
If I haven't dissuaded you yet, you can search for Shamrock locations, or report your find here. I did my duty as a good citizen. I reported my find.
Do you think someone was having fun on Wikipedia?
Shamrock Shakes were widely available across Canada and the United States until the early 1990s. According to the McDonald’s website, Shamrock Shakes are now sold exclusively in Ireland
Photos by Elise for LAist
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care. -
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases.
Best of LAist