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Here's What McDonald's Customers Are Saying About the Mysterious Grimace Shake

The flavor of this purple-hued shake is a bit of a puzzle.
FACT CHECKED BY Mura Dominko

If a popular fast-food chain added a purple-hued milkshake to the menu but refused to give any real details about its flavor, what would you expect the cold treat to taste like? That question has been on the minds of many McDonald's customers ever since the burger giant introduced the brand-new Grimace Birthday Meal last week, featuring an eye-popping purple shake with an elusive flavor.

This special meal is meant to honor Grimace, the beloved, fuzzy purple mascot with an identity not even McDonald's can nail down. ("What exactly is Grimace? Perhaps we'll never know…"). Those who order a Grimace Birthday Meal will receive one of those mysterious purple shakes, plus fries and their choice of either a Big Mac or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets.

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All that McDonald's revealed about the flavor of the shake so far is that it was "inspired by Grimace's iconic color and sweetness." Even now that customers are finally getting the opportunity to try the shake after it hit menus on June 12, they're still not completely sure what flavor McDonald's was going for. Some have been comparing the sweet treat to snacks and sugary breakfast foods from their childhoods.

"I just had one It tastes exactly like a Blueberry Pop-Tart," one customer wrote in a Reddit thread.

"Can't decide if it's Froot Loops or Fruity Pebbles with a sugary cereal milk aftertaste," another said.

Others haven't been quite as specific when sharing their thoughts on the Grimace shake flavor.

"It tastes like a vanilla milkshake with a hint of, like, berry flavor almost," TikToker @gracemarywilliams said in a video this week.

@gracemarywilliams

Happy birthday Grimace💜💜💜 The shake is SOOOO good!! #mcdonalds #grimace #hbdgrimace #grimaceshake #mcdonaldsshake @McDonald's

♬ original sound – gracemarywilliams

Meanwhile, certain customers reported that the most prominent flavor in the shake was actually vanilla and said they had trouble detecting any fruity flavors.

"I didn't taste any berry," a Redditor wrote.

If any of those flavor descriptions sound right up your alley, don't wait too long before heading over to McDonald's to grab a Grimace Birthday Meal since the special offer is only available for a limited time and while supplies last. Just be warned–some customers have been outraged to see that the meal was priced at $18 or even higher at their local restaurants. There is no option to order the shake by itself in the McDonald's app or on the website at this time, but MassLive.com reported that you can order the shake alone if you go through the drive-thru.

In other McDonald's news, the chain announced this week that it will debut a brand-new Cheesy Jalapeño Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese on July 10. The burger, which will only be available for a limited time, features McDonald's signature Quarter Pounder beef patty, two slices of American cheese, thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, pickled jalapeño slices, and a creamy cheddar cheese sauce on a toasted sesame seed bun. Customers will also be able to order a Cheesy Jalapeño Bacon Double QPC with an extra beef patty.

Zoe Strozewski
Zoe Strozewski is a News Writer for Eat This, Not That! A Chicago native who now lives in New Jersey, she graduated from Kean University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Read more about Zoe
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