By Julia Favaro

Grimace, McDonald’s large purple character, made his way back in the media in 2023 with the viral Grimace Shake. Coming out of retirement after 40 years for St. Patrick’s Day is Grimace’s Irish Uncle, O’Grimacey. He’s back to promote McDonald’s Shamrock Shake for its 55th anniversary in addition to the 50th anniversary of Ronald McDonald House Charities which opened as a result of proceeds from this festive green shake! Keep reading to learn more about Grimace’s Uncle, O’Grimacey, the history of the Shamrock Shake, and how to make your own at home!

The Beginning of the Shamrock Shake

McDonald’s Shamrock Shake was created in 1967 by Hal Rosen, a McDonald’s owner and operator. Straying from its original mint flavor, in 1970, a lemon-lime version was offered at select locations in major cities. Soon after, the recipe was changed back to its classic mint flavor and debuted in stores. This simple green, minty shake was an immediate crowd-pleaser! Although popular, the Shamrock Shake was not nationally available until 2012. During the decades it was only sold in select locations, fans created ways to track this sweet minty shake. The Shamrock Shake Finder is an app and website that shows which McDonald’s locations have the Shamrock Shake and is still in use today! Since 1970, McDonalds has tested similar shamrock products such as the 1980s Shamrock Sundae, consisting of vanilla soft serve and bright green Shamrock syrup, and the current Shamrock Oreo McFlurry. 

Uncle O’Grimacey

In 1975, McDonald’s created the character Uncle O’Grimacey to promote the Shamrock Shake. According to McDonald, Uncle O’Grimacey is Grimace’s green uncle who lives in Ireland and visits once a year around St. Patrick’s Day. This year, he is being brought out of retirement to promote the Shamrock Shake!

The Philadelphia Eagles and Founding of Ronald McDonald House Charities:

The Shamrock Shake has an important connection to the Philadelphia Eagles (Go Birds) and the first Ronald McDonald House program. In 1974, Eagles player Fred Hill’s daughter was being treated for Leukemia. He and his wife spent three years camping out at the hospital and noticed how many other families were doing the same, some who traveled from far away and couldn’t afford hotel rooms. He reached out to his team to partner with Dr. Audrey Evans, head of oncology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Evans had wanted to start a home for families of children being treated at the hospital. Jim Murray, Eagles general manager, called his friend Don Tuckerman of a McDonald’s advertising agency asking what upcoming promotion could be used to raise funds. As the story goes, it was the Shamrock Shake. They hosted a promotion where all profits from the Shamrock shake were used to help buy a house near the hospital. In 1974, it opened as the first Ronald McDonald House. Today, there are 365 Ronald McDonald Houses, including one in Syracuse. The Shamrock Shake still contributes to the Ronald McDonald Charity Houses, with 25 cents of each shake being donated. 

Shamrock Shake From Home:

Recipe Credit: Delish

Ingredients:

¼ cup (4 scoops) vanilla ice cream

½ cup whole milk

¼ teaspoon peppermint extract

6 drops green food coloring

Whipped cream and maraschino cherry, for on top

Instructions:

1. In a blender, mix all ingredients until combined
2. Top with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry

Creamy Mint Smoothie

Ingredients:

½ cup milk 

¼ cup vanilla greek yogurt

1 avocado, frozen in chunks

2 dates, pitted

1 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

¼ teaspoon peppermint extract

Spirulina or green food dye (for color)

Instructions:

1. In a blender, blend all ingredients until completely combined and smooth
2. Enjoy!