McDonald's Announces The Annual Return Of Its Iconic Shamrock Shake

It's not easy being green, but it can be delicious. According to an official press release shared with Tasting Table, the cult favorite Shamrock Shake and Oreo Shamrock McFlurry are returning to McDonald's for their annual appearance on Monday, February 5 — a whopping 41 days before St. Patrick's Day on March 17. Last year, fans didn't see the Shamrock Shake until February 20, and before that in 2022, it was February 15. This year's earlier release date might indicate that St. Paddy's Day fans are ready to party now, and judging by its earlier-than-ever duo drop, McDonald's is here to fuel the festivities.

If you haven't tried one yet (or have always wondered what was inside the vivid green treats but never felt particularly motivated to question the ingredients), the iconic Shamrock Shake fuses vanilla soft serve ice cream with mint syrup and a whipped topping. Its McFlurry counterpart is the same concept with thicker McFlurry-style ice cream (spoon, not straw) and rippled with Oreo cookie crumbles.

The Oreo Shamrock McFlurry joined the fast food chain's menu in 2020, in honor of the Shamrock Shake's 50th anniversary. Fans have been guzzling the green since 1970, and this year, the Oreo Shamrock McFlurry comes equipped with the chain's new, revamped McFlurry spoon, which dropped last fall.

McDonald's has been experimenting with more non-traditional McFlurry flavors all year, such as the new Strawberry Shortcake McFlurry and the Peanut Butter Crunch McFlurry, which debuted last summer. Even the St. Paddy's Day desserts have seen their own variations, like the 1980's Shamrock Sundae and a mint chocolate shake back in 2017.

In a post on the Instagram fan account @snackolator, fans sounded off in the comments to voice their excitement, writing "My favorite time of year," and "I wish this shake was on the menu permanently." Still, others voiced their concerns. Some folks mentioned how early the release is and said it should be closer to the holiday, and one fan teased, "'Sorry our ice cream machine is down" — a clear nod to the chain's infamously inconsistent ice cream-appliance performance.

As always, the Shamrock Shake and Oreo Shamrock McFlurry will be available for a limited time only, though McDonald's has not announced a specific end date for the beloved treats. Fans gearing up to order the seasonal favorites next week may be thrilled, but chances are they'll be even happier when they're told "Here's your shake," instead of "Yeah sorry, come back again when the ice cream machine is working."