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Shamrock Shakes date back to 1970 for McDonald’s.
McDonald’s [Official Photo]

Where to Find St. Patrick’s Day-Themed Milkshakes and Drinks in Chicago

Shamrock Shakes are nice, but they don’t have booze

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Shamrock Shakes date back to 1970 for McDonald’s.
|McDonald’s [Official Photo]

As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, many Chicagoans and tourists will converge downtown to drink green beer, watch workers dye the Chicago River green, or eat corned beef. Another emerging tradition is St. Patrick’s Day milkshakes inspired by McDonald’s venerable Shamrock Shakes,a tradition started in 1970. Several Chicago bars and restaurants also add alcohol to give grown ups a feeling more than nostalgia. For those who don’t need the booze, there are also a few drinks safe for children.

Remember, just like Shamrock Shakes, these drinks are available for a limited time only. St. Patrick’s Day is Sunday, March 17 and the city will dye the river green the day before on Saturday, March 16. The South Side Irish Parade is on Sunday, March 17. Irish pub workers along Western Avenue on the South Side may laugh at customers asking for a milkshake, so it’s good to have alternatives.

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Mini Mott

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Over atMini Mottin Logan Square, the burger-focused spinoff from Mott Street, they’re making a Cloverphyll-Mint Shake. Inspired by McDonald’s, this cake shake has a sweet cream base and a shot of chlorophyll that’s blended with peppermint oil. It comes with a piece of Belgium bittersweet chocolate cake.

Mini Mott’s Cloverphyll-Mint Shake
Mini Mott/Casey VanderStel

Pork & Mindy's

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Sandwich King Jeff Mauro’s shop,Pork & Mindy’s, is getting festive near Wicker Park’s largest intersection, selling a shortbread-topped Irish Coffee ‘Nado shake. There’s also a location inside the Forum 55 food court. The special lasts through the month.

Pork & Mindy’s shortbread-topped Irish Coffee ‘Nado shake.
Pork & Mindy’s [Official Photo]

The Violet Hour

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This one isn’t a shake, but it’s inspired by McDonald’s.Violet Hour柳條公園的開創性的雞尾酒吧,禮物the Chapuline. It’s a play on the Spanish word for grasshopper and the cocktail. It’s house-made creme de menthe and Marie Brizard’s White Cacao liqueur with a splash of pisco. There’s also heavy cream added before shaken with ice and served in a chilled glass. It’s available until March 31.

Violet Hour’s Chapuline
Violet Hour [Official Photo]

Charm'd

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Management turnedDeuce’s and The Diamond Clubinto a pop-up venue in Wrigleyville during the Cubs’s offseason. Charm’d is a massive St. Patrick’s Day pop-up that goes through March with a menu that includes three boozy shakes. The Shamrock Shake is mint chocolate chip ice cream, Thin Mint cookies, chocolate shavings, whipped cream, cherries and optional peppermint Schnapps booze buddy.

Charm’d’s Shamrock Shake
Charm’d [Official Photo]

BomboBar

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BomboBaris the dessert shop part of Bar Siena in West Loop. It generates many Instagram posts. Through March it offers the Mint Chocolate Hotter Chocolate. It tastes like a Girl Scout cookie with hot chocolate, mint marshmallows, green cotton candy, Lucky Charms marshmallows, and topped with a clover cookie and mini bomboloni.

Mint Chocolate Hotter Chocolate
BomboBar [Official Photo]

Portillo's Hot Dogs

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Portillo’s, the Chicago mini-chain, has two city locations and is know for its hot dogs and Italian beefs. They’re serving mint-chocolate-vanilla shakes with chocolate frosting from their chocolate cakes. It’s available through March 31.

Portillo’s mint-chocolate shakes
Portillo’s [Official Photo]

M Burger

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Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’sM Burgeris a Midwest sort of answer to In-N-Out Burger. It’s got three locations. For March they’ve got a Minty Leprechaun Shake with vanilla ice cream and crushed mint chocolates.

M Burger’s Minty Leprechaun Shake
Lettuce Entertain You/Anjali Pinto

Hard Rock Cafe

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The Chicago location ofHard Rock Cafeis near the former location of the Rock ‘n’ Roll McDonald’s. The McDonald’s was torn down, but Hard Rock plays on and they’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with limited edition shake with sprinkles.

Hard Rock Cafe’s St. Patrick’s Day shake.
Hard Rock Cafe [Official Photo]

JoJo's Milk Bar

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Recently opened on Hubbard Street,JoJo’s Milk Barhas plenty of boozy desserts. Its Irish Milk Bomb has a mint chocolate base and “pot o’ gold sprinkled collar” topped with whipped cream, a rainbow candy ribbon, a chocolate-covered Leprechaun marshmallow, a shamrock sugar cookie. Shot of Jameson comes optional.

Jojo’s Milk Bar’s Irish Milk Bomb
Jojo’s Milk Bar [Official Photo]

Booth One

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Booth One, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’s Pump Room update in Gold Coast, sells a grasshopper withcrème de menthe, crème de cacao, and cream.

Booth One’s Grasshopper
Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises [Official Photo]

Public House

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Famous for desserts in River North,Public House’sshake of the month is the Patty Cake Shake. It’s made with mint chocolate chip ice cream and Guinness. Topped with a slice of rainbow cake, it comes with a glass covered in vanilla buttercream and rolled in Lucky Charms cereal.

Public House’s Patty Cake Shake
Public House [Official Photo]

Beacon Tavern

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Somewhat hidden in River North,Beacon Tavernwill hopefully soon have its windows open for spring. It’s serving a Guinness Cake & Shake (chocolate cake, cream cheese frosting, mint chip shake). It would make sense to serve Shamrock Shakes since Billy Lawless’s restaurant was a former McDonald’s.

Beacon Tavern’s Guinness Cake & Shake.
Beacon Tavern [Official Photo]

Mini Mott

Over atMini Mottin Logan Square, the burger-focused spinoff from Mott Street, they’re making a Cloverphyll-Mint Shake. Inspired by McDonald’s, this cake shake has a sweet cream base and a shot of chlorophyll that’s blended with peppermint oil. It comes with a piece of Belgium bittersweet chocolate cake.

Mini Mott’s Cloverphyll-Mint Shake
Mini Mott/Casey VanderStel

Pork & Mindy's

Sandwich King Jeff Mauro’s shop,Pork & Mindy’s, is getting festive near Wicker Park’s largest intersection, selling a shortbread-topped Irish Coffee ‘Nado shake. There’s also a location inside the Forum 55 food court. The special lasts through the month.

Pork & Mindy’s shortbread-topped Irish Coffee ‘Nado shake.
Pork & Mindy’s [Official Photo]

The Violet Hour

This one isn’t a shake, but it’s inspired by McDonald’s.Violet Hour柳條公園的開創性的雞尾酒吧,禮物the Chapuline. It’s a play on the Spanish word for grasshopper and the cocktail. It’s house-made creme de menthe and Marie Brizard’s White Cacao liqueur with a splash of pisco. There’s also heavy cream added before shaken with ice and served in a chilled glass. It’s available until March 31.

Violet Hour’s Chapuline
Violet Hour [Official Photo]

Charm'd

Management turnedDeuce’s and The Diamond Clubinto a pop-up venue in Wrigleyville during the Cubs’s offseason. Charm’d is a massive St. Patrick’s Day pop-up that goes through March with a menu that includes three boozy shakes. The Shamrock Shake is mint chocolate chip ice cream, Thin Mint cookies, chocolate shavings, whipped cream, cherries and optional peppermint Schnapps booze buddy.

Charm’d’s Shamrock Shake
Charm’d [Official Photo]

BomboBar

BomboBaris the dessert shop part of Bar Siena in West Loop. It generates many Instagram posts. Through March it offers the Mint Chocolate Hotter Chocolate. It tastes like a Girl Scout cookie with hot chocolate, mint marshmallows, green cotton candy, Lucky Charms marshmallows, and topped with a clover cookie and mini bomboloni.

Mint Chocolate Hotter Chocolate
BomboBar [Official Photo]

Portillo's Hot Dogs

Portillo’s, the Chicago mini-chain, has two city locations and is know for its hot dogs and Italian beefs. They’re serving mint-chocolate-vanilla shakes with chocolate frosting from their chocolate cakes. It’s available through March 31.

Portillo’s mint-chocolate shakes
Portillo’s [Official Photo]

M Burger

Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’sM Burgeris a Midwest sort of answer to In-N-Out Burger. It’s got three locations. For March they’ve got a Minty Leprechaun Shake with vanilla ice cream and crushed mint chocolates.

M Burger’s Minty Leprechaun Shake
Lettuce Entertain You/Anjali Pinto

Hard Rock Cafe

The Chicago location ofHard Rock Cafeis near the former location of the Rock ‘n’ Roll McDonald’s. The McDonald’s was torn down, but Hard Rock plays on and they’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with limited edition shake with sprinkles.

Hard Rock Cafe’s St. Patrick’s Day shake.
Hard Rock Cafe [Official Photo]

JoJo's Milk Bar

Recently opened on Hubbard Street,JoJo’s Milk Barhas plenty of boozy desserts. Its Irish Milk Bomb has a mint chocolate base and “pot o’ gold sprinkled collar” topped with whipped cream, a rainbow candy ribbon, a chocolate-covered Leprechaun marshmallow, a shamrock sugar cookie. Shot of Jameson comes optional.

Jojo’s Milk Bar’s Irish Milk Bomb
Jojo’s Milk Bar [Official Photo]

Booth One

Booth One, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’s Pump Room update in Gold Coast, sells a grasshopper withcrème de menthe, crème de cacao, and cream.

Booth One’s Grasshopper
Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises [Official Photo]

Public House

Famous for desserts in River North,Public House’sshake of the month is the Patty Cake Shake. It’s made with mint chocolate chip ice cream and Guinness. Topped with a slice of rainbow cake, it comes with a glass covered in vanilla buttercream and rolled in Lucky Charms cereal.

Public House’s Patty Cake Shake
Public House [Official Photo]

Beacon Tavern

Somewhat hidden in River North,Beacon Tavernwill hopefully soon have its windows open for spring. It’s serving a Guinness Cake & Shake (chocolate cake, cream cheese frosting, mint chip shake). It would make sense to serve Shamrock Shakes since Billy Lawless’s restaurant was a former McDonald’s.

Beacon Tavern’s Guinness Cake & Shake.
Beacon Tavern [Official Photo]

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