McDonald's Shamrock Shake Is Returning Earlier Than Ever

We might just be getting an early visit from Uncle O'Grimacey this year. As of Thursday, rumor had it that the iconic Shamrock Shake was making its way to McDonald's menus earlier than ever in 2024, at least according to a post by Snackolater on Instagram. The popular fast and snack food news/review account announced that the Shamrock Shake will return to McD's on February 5th.

Cat out of the bag, McDonald's confirmed the news today on its website. The announcement marks an early start to Shamrock Shake season, which generally coincides with St. Patrick's Day. Coming instead around Groundhog Day, here's to hoping this is a year of early starts, and Punxsutawney Phil will follow suit with news of an early spring. So, there is no need for Shamrock Shake devotees to be coy, who can go ahead and start making plans for an early St. Patrick's Day celebration at McDonald's. 

Snackolater's social media post also included an image of the iconic green shake along with a Shamrocked version of its Oreo McFlurry. The minty version of the classic, cookie-based McDonald's dessert was first introduced in 2020, and it's our four-leaf luck to get it for an extra few weeks. 

This represents an incredibly early release for the seasonal beverages. Compared to 2022 and 2023, we're getting an extra couple weeks of Shamrock joy, as the drop dates were February 21 and February 20 respectively.  

The first Shamrock Shake was created in 1967 by a Connecticut McDonald's owner by the name of Hal Rosen to celebrate the holiday. The buzz around the milkshake quickly caught the attention of corporate; three years later it debuted nationally and remains a perennial hit. But the minty green shake has done more than serve as a great way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day; sales of it even helped to fund the very first Ronald McDonald House in 1974.

And as for Uncle O'Grimacey, a character who is perhaps only known to super fans of McDonald's rotation of colorful characters, was first introduced in 1975, however, his luck ran out sometime in the 1980s, and he is no longer the official mascot of the seasonal drink. However, with Grimace's return to favor last summer, perhaps his uncle might just pop up. But for now, that's just a pipe dream.