Cavemengo Anecdotes - Tom Mitsos

Blog post: Copycat McDonalds Shamrock Shake
March 25, 2010

I remember the adventure that Justin endured trying to find a Shamrock Shake outside of Michigan. When Justin, Adam and I went to Roswell, Justin was determined to find at least one McDonalds that carried Shamrock Shakes.

I was confident there had to be at least one McDonalds that carried Shamrock Shakes. Why would they deny people of the Southwest this delicious treat? I’m not sure if Justin was as confident as I was, but I think my confidence gave him the drive to complete the task at hand.

During our 9-hour drive from Fort Worth, Texas to Roswell, New Mexico, Justin called numerous McDonalds asking if they had Shamrock Shakes. Every one of them denied him, and the dream seemed to be slipping further and further away. However, I could tell Justin was passionate about this endeavor, and he was not going to give up very easily.

Once we arrived in Roswell, Justin called a few more McDonalds in the area. He was denied a few more times, but one call led to a beacon of hope. There was one McDonalds that claimed to have them. I don’t exactly remember where it was, but it wasn’t very far from our hotel in Roswell so we decided to venture there. Justin and the rest of the crew (I think Stephan was present for this trip) were so elated at finally fulfilling Justin’s dream and crossing off yet another item on the bucket list.

Alas, when we arrived at the store, there were no Shamrock Shakes. I later recall Justin saying he thought the clerk he talked to thought Justin asked if they had “shakes” instead of “Shamrock Shakes.” One unheard word was the difference between glory, and failure.

I believe this was the last McDonalds that we tried. Justin had no choice but to accept defeat. It was a bitter defeat. Every March, I look forward to those delicious Shamrock Shakes. I think Justin has missed them the most living in Texas during the past few years. It’s almost as if he were trying to reclaim a bit of his youth with the Shamrock Shakes. Trying to remember a simpler time when there were no worries about the future, and a Shamrock Shake meant that spring was right around the corner.

I think Adam found a copycat Shamrock Shake for Justin and we were going to try it while we were in Roswell if we couldn't find the real deal. We never got around to it, and I don’t know if Justin has tried to make it since. However, I can guarantee that a copycat is not nearly as good as the legend that is the Shamrock Shake.