Have you ever craved that iconic green shamrock shake from a popular fast-food chain, only to find out their ice cream machine is down (again)? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with a boozy recipe, so you can enjoy the best of both worlds!
The Shamrock Shake
The Shamrock Shake was first introduced by McDonald’s in 1970. It was initially created as a special treat for St. Patrick’s Day and has since become a seasonal favorite, typically available in the weeks leading up to and during St. Patrick’s Day.
The Shamrock Shake is a mint-flavored milkshake known for its creamy texture and refreshing taste. It has a sweet and creamy vanilla base that is infused with a hint of mint flavoring, giving it a cool and refreshing taste. The shake is typically topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry, adding to its indulgent and festive appeal.
he Shamrock Shake has become popular for several reasons:
- Seasonal Availability: The Shamrock Shake is typically only available for a limited time leading up to St. Patrick’s Day, which creates a sense of anticipation and excitement among fans who look forward to it each year.
- Unique Flavor: The minty flavor of the Shamrock Shake sets it apart from other milkshakes, offering a refreshing and festive taste that is especially appealing around St. Patrick’s Day.
- Cultural Icon: McDonald’s has successfully marketed the Shamrock Shake as a symbol of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, making it a cultural icon associated with the holiday.
- Nostalgia: For many people, the Shamrock Shake brings back fond memories of childhood or past St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, adding to its appeal.
- Limited-Time Offerings: The fact that the Shamrock Shake is only available for a short period each year creates a sense of urgency to try it before it’s gone, driving up demand.
St. Patrick’s Day Traditions
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17th each year in honor of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The day marks the anniversary of St. Patrick’s death in the 5th century and is observed as a religious and cultural holiday in Ireland and by people of Irish descent around the world.
St. Patrick is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland and is also associated with the legend of driving the snakes out of Ireland. Over time, St. Patrick’s Day has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture and heritage, featuring parades, traditional music and dance, and the wearing of green clothing and accessories.
In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is a public holiday and is celebrated with religious services and feasting. In other parts of the world, particularly in countries with large Irish populations, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated with parades, festivals, and parties to honor Irish culture and heritage.
Modern-day St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated with a variety of traditions that vary depending on the country and region. Some common traditions include:
- Parades: St. Patrick’s Day parades are a popular tradition in many cities around the world, featuring floats, marching bands, dancers, and other performers. The largest St. Patrick’s Day parade is held in Dublin, Ireland.
- Wearing Green: Wearing green clothing and accessories is a popular tradition on St. Patrick’s Day, symbolizing Irish heritage and culture. People also often wear shamrock pins or accessories as a nod to St. Patrick, who is said to have used the shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity.
- Irish Food and Drink: Traditional Irish food and drink are often enjoyed on St. Patrick’s Day, including dishes like corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread, and, of course, Irish whiskey. Some people also enjoy green-colored foods and drinks to add to the festive atmosphere.
- Music and Dance: Traditional Irish music and dance are a big part of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, with many events featuring live music performances and Irish dancing.
- Attending Mass: St. Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday in Ireland, and many people attend Mass to honor St. Patrick and his contributions to the spread of Christianity in Ireland.
- Decorations: Cities and towns often decorate streets, buildings, and landmarks with green decorations and Irish-themed displays to create a festive atmosphere.
Ingredients and Preparation
The boozy version of the Shamrock Shake is absolutely delicious, sweet, and gives you everything that you want out of a Shamrock Shake! So, let’s get into the ingredients!
First, we’re starting with whipped cream vodka. Whipped cream vodka is a flavored vodka that has a creamy, sweet taste reminiscent of whipped cream. It often has vanilla and sugar notes, giving it a dessert-like flavor profile. The texture is smooth and creamy, similar to whipped cream.
Next up is the crème de menthe. Crème de menthe is a sweet, mint-flavored liqueur. It is typically made with distilled spirits, sugar, and natural or artificial mint flavoring. Crème de menthe comes in two varieties: white (clear) and green. White crème de menthe is colorless and has a milder mint flavor, while green crème de menthe is colored and has a more pronounced mint flavor. If you can not find the green crème de menthe, you can just use a drop of green food coloring to change the color! This is what we did since our local ABC store was out of the green color- probably because we went looking for it so close to St. Patty’s Day!
We’re also adding some creme de cacao to this shake. Crème de cacao is a sweet liqueur with a chocolate flavor. It is made from cacao beans or cacao nibs, which are steeped in alcohol to extract their flavor. The resulting liquid is then sweetened with sugar to create the liqueur.
Finally, we’re using a scoop of vanilla ice cream instead of ice to shake this cocktail!
To add the smoke to this shake, we are going to smoke rinse the glass with the Cinnamon smoke. This means we are smoking the cup so the smoke particles will cling to the glass and the cinnamon flavor will be highlighted throughout. This shake will be shaken in a cocktail shaker, then poured into a glass and topped with whipped cream and green sprinkles because…why not???
Boozy Shamrock Shake
Equipment
- 1 Cocktail Shaker
- 1 Smokeshow Cocktail Smoker
- 1 Butane Torch
- 1 Cocktail Strainer
Ingredients
Cocktail
- 1.5 oz whipped cream vodka
- 1 oz crème de menthe add 1 drop of green food coloring if the crème de menthe is clear
- 1/2 oz creme de cacao
- 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
Garnish & Smoke
- 1 pinch Cinnamon Smoke Dust
- whipped cream (optional)
- green sprinkles or sanding sugar
Instructions
Smoke
- Smoke rinse glass. Place smoker on top of the glass, add smoke dust, smoke the empty glass and leave smoker on top until shake is ready.
Cocktail
- Add all ingredients to a shaker and strain into a glass after removing the smoker.
- Top with whipped cream and sprinkles!
