So I started writing a post about Shamrock Shakes because I had my first one of the season today, and promptly deleted it deciding that it was too trivial of a topic (it’s pretty late, so my brain is woozy). However, as soon as I deleted my post, someone I was chatting with online uttered these unforgivable words:

Y: hahahaha what is a shamrock shake

Y: is it that thing at shakeshack

…And so the decision was made that this entry was necessary. I mean, does the topic of “Shamrock Shakes” seem arbitrary and trivial compared to some of my other blog posts? Totally. But do I love Shamrock Shakes enough to dedicate an entire blog post to them? Also totally. So here we have it: a post dedicated to the minty, bright-green shake offered at McD’s come every Feb/March (not Shake Shack. It’s okay, baby steps).

After the long gloom of winter, during which we are blessed only sporadically with glimpses of sunlight, everything around us starts looking kind of gray. The sky is gray, the roads are gray, the snow is gray, dirty, and disgusting – you get the picture. But there is light at the end of the tunnel: the Shamrock Shake inevitably returns at the end of every winter, right in time for Saint Patrick’s Day (hence the name). This burst of bright green is a reminder that a color other than gray exists in this world, that there is hope for renewed plant life again and all is not lost under the perpetual ice/snow/slush of winter.

The Shamrock Shake is primarily composed of sugar, cream, and some kind of bright green food coloring that probably contains cancerous chemicals. Most things composed of sugar and cream end up tasting…well, really good (unless you have a really healthy diet and taste, in which case I commend you). It’s rich, creamy, and smooth, but what makes it unique is the hint of mint that is swirled into this mysterious green drink. Every sip contains a mouthful of deliciousness, way too many calories, and maybe some sort of luck, seeing as it’s a St. Patty’s Day drink. You might be thinking, “Why would I want to go buy this drink if it sounds like it’s made out of ingredients that aren’t healthy for me?”

The answer is because the Shamrock Shake is freaking delicious. It’s alluring and addicting just by itself, with its crisp minty milkshake self topped with whipped cream and a cherry. But it’s also one of those drinks that tastes good with everything else on the McDonald’s menu (not that I’ve tried them all, but I’m just that confident), especially with french fries. Its appearance is green and you know it’s minty, which allows you to manufacture a fallacy that because there are leaves in it (or at least the taste of mint), it might be kind of healthy. In all semi-seriousness, there’s just some magical element in this drink that makes it a must-have every February-March holiday season. Need to celebrate Valentine’s Day? Shamrock Shake date. President’s Day? Toast old George and Abe with a Shamrock Shake. The Shamrock Shake’s limited availability each year makes it all the more exciting – it’s now or never until next year, and once it gets taken off the shelves late March, it’s gone.

After Shamrock Shakes disappear off the McD’s menu, life is back to normal…until the next February rolls around. All I’m saying is that I’m glad I can always count on the Shamrock Shake to bring me out of my winter gloom.

NOTE: I may or may not have abused my RA privileges in college and literally emailed the dorm a one-liner that said, “SHAMROCK SHAKES ARE BACK!” (complete with Emoji, obviously), so this is really just an extension of what I personally considered a PSA.