McDonald's Is Bringing Back Its Shamrock Shake Early in 2021

St. Patrick's Day is coming early to your local McDonald's. As CNN reports, the fast food chain will be adding its seasonal Shamrock Shake to menus beginning February 15—a whole two weeks before March.

The mint-flavored, pale green milkshake is tied to St. Patrick's Day on March 17, but McDonald's has moved up the start date of its season in recent years. In 2019, the Shamrock Shake returned in the first half of February, and in 2020, a limited-edition mint-and-Oreo version was available before March as well. In 2021, the chilled treat will hit McDonald's restaurants right after Valentine's Day.

The Shamrock Shake has been a perennial specialty at McDonald's since it debuted in 1970 under the much-less-catchy name "St. Patrick’s Day Green Milkshake." It would be decades before the rare offering was sold at locations nationwide, and even today, not every franchise is required to sell it. Luckily, McDonald's has released a special Shamrock Shake finder app that makes it easy to track down the item in your area.

If you've been craving a Shamrock Shake all year, you can get yours early or wait until March for a more seasonally appropriate treat. Here are some festive facts about the milkshake to read in the meantime.