McDonald’s Shamrock Shake May Have a New Rival

McDonald’s Shamrock Shake May Have a New Rival

If you’re a fan of McDonald’s Shamrock Shake, the time is short until it returns for the season. But this year, there is a rival stepping up in specific locations courtesy of Del Taco.

St. Patrick’s Day is coming in 2022 with options within the fast-food world. Debuting soon, Del Taco’s Mini Mint Shake and the Mini Mint M&M’s Shake are sure to give taste buds an overload of minty goodness. According to ChewBoom, prices will vary depending on where you’re visiting Del Taco, you can obtain both in regular or large sizes.

The M&M’s variation should remind fans a bit of McDonald’s Shamrock McFlurry with Oreo cookies mixed in. Will it be as popular as the McDonald’s creation? Not likely, but that’s the result of Del Taco’s geographic limitations in comparison to McDonald’s. The golden arches are everywhere.

The Shamrock Shake recently celebrated 50 years in circulation annually. The treat was developed in 1970 by Rogers Merchandising in Chicago, where St. Patrick’s Day is relatively special, and they dye the rivers green. It wasn’t always perfect for the drink in those earlier days.

It took a bit of time to get the flavor down, with a lemon-lime flavor mixing with ice cream, sherbet and vanilla syrup. This was changed swiftly, and St. Patrick’s Day also took a backseat. The drink even had a mascot at one point, with Uncle O’Grimacey popping up as a green version of the iconic Grimace. This character was also short-lived, though, and was likely fed to the original Grimace with six arms for its failure.

February is when the Shamrock Shake returns to McDonald’s menus, though the date varies. It will stick around for a limited time this year, typically through the beginning of March. It did get a special limited engagement in 2019 during the Philadelphia Eagles season opener in September of that year. This return was kept to only the Philadelphia area, however.

Is it worth seeking out Del Taco in your area to compare the tasty concoctions? Or would you have better luck tracking down a leprechaun and feasting on their magical minty insides? Or perhaps it’s too early in the year for nightmares? We’ll see when it comes to how long it takes the Shamrock to roll back into Mickey D’s this year.