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McDonald's new limited-edition meal celebrating the 52nd birthday of their classic mascot, Grimace, has sent the internet into a frenzy. The special meal was launched on Monday, June 12. The menu includes a choice of either a Big Mac or 10 pieces of Chicken McNuggets with McD’s world-famous fries as a side. But the best part about it is the signature purple milkshake that people were already going crazy over before its release.
The limited-edition purple milkshake has been inspired by the purple mascot’s iconic color and sweetness. Before the release, many were speculating about the flavor of the drink, and some believed that it would be blueberry-flavored.
McDonald's shared the announcement on Twitter on June 6 and posted an animated photo of Grimace standing outside a car and wearing sunglasses with a purple drink in hand. The car is a darker shade of purple, while the number plate in front reads "Grimace." Alphabet balloons spelling out "Grimace's Birthday" can also be spotted in the image.
Twitter user Mallory Justine commented under the tweet that the fast-food chain "understood the assignment":
Netizens react to Grimace's birthday meal by McDonald's
As per the restaurant, the purple milkshake features a creamy vanilla soft serve which will be blended with Grimace shake syrup with whipped light cream on top. Although the birthday special meal has other foods in it, customers and McD enthusiasts seemed to be interested only in the purple shake as it is their new launch and will only be available for a limited time.
After trying out the shake, some people liked the flavor and tried to describe it in their own words. Others said that the shake had an odd flavor that caused a strong tingling sensation on their tongue, but they still could not stop drinking it.
Some people made references to Bangtan Sonyeondan, aka BTS, and joked that McDonald's probably launched the purple shake for Grimace's birthday on June 12 because BTS's 10th anniversary is on the next day. Purple is BTS's signature color, and since the fast-food chain previously had a collab with the Korean boy band, many Bangtan fans connected it to Grimace's purple shake.
Some people complained that there was no option to order the shake separately without purchasing the entire meal. McD responded to the tweets about the same and wrote that the shake only comes with the birthday meal. However, you can make a request for just the shake by speaking to the staff at your local McDonald's.
The Grimace birthday meal will only be available at the participating restaurants for a limited time until supplies last, and customers can get it for $15. Grimace's merch, such as t-shirts and socks, are also available on McDonald's merchandise website.
For each Instagram story about a favorite birthday memory, the company will make donations of $5 to Ronald McDonald House Charities and help it reach its $200,000 goal. The Instagram story will also have to tag the restaurant and include a Grimace sticker. It is available only on June 13-14.
