My favorite Potbelly shake is a mocha malted. The strawberry is a guilty pleasure because I've got some affection for that overly sweet artificial strawberry flavor.

(And it's good to see Leah here -- I don't get to Sweet Occasions as much as I used to, but it's still one of my favorite places in that area.)

Today, the last day of March, is the last day that Scooter's is offering an "Irish Mint" shake, made with crème de menthe flavouring and their standard vanilla custard base.

I used to be a huge fan of the "Shamrock" shake at McDonald's, but, I will admit that, even during it's golden years, it never touched this stuff.

Scooter's (Official Site)
1658 W. Belmont
773.244.6415

E.M.

HI,

For whatever it matters: I was at Highland Park's McDonalds on 2nd Street last night. A friend ordered the Shamrock Shake only to learn they have stopped offering it for the season. We just looked back in disbelief, especially since St. Patrick's Day was the very next day. Could not get a clear explanation if this was a planned cessation or they ran out of Shamrock Shake mix. It just seemed odd not to continue through St. Patrick's Day.

Regards,

so my gurl has been having these wicked urges for the *perfect* chocolate malt
we have tried various amts of chocolate and/or vanilla ice cream with milk and have OVALTINE we are using as the malt powder
and verily she will lament that it aint right. so what's the secret to these damn things? must it contain blitzed malted milk balls for that *perfect* malt flavor? are we barking up the wrong tree with the OVALTINE? does anyone have a compass in this twisted landscape of malts?

jdchurchill wrote:so my gurl has been having these wicked urges for the *perfect* chocolate malt
we have tried various amts of chocolate and/or vanilla ice cream with milk and have OVALTINE we are using as the malt powder
and verily she will lament that it aint right. so what's the secret to these damn things? must it contain blitzed malted milk balls for that *perfect* malt flavor? are we barking up the wrong tree with the OVALTINE? does anyone have a compass in this twisted landscape of malts?

As an alternative to Ovaltine, you might try Carnation Malted Milk powder...it'll give you that straight-up malted milk ball flavor. The Carnation stuff is generally available at most standard grocery stores (Jewel, Dominick's, etc.).

Horlick's Malted Milk Powder (formally made in Racine) is the gold standard. Carnation also makes a version that is probably more readily available at the local supermarket.

so OVALTINE sucks is what i'm getting here then

jdchurchill wrote:so OVALTINE sucks is what i'm getting here then

Au contraire, I love me some Ovaltine once in awhile. However, Ovaltine is a mix of malted milk & cocoa...so if you're only looking to add malted milk flavor to a shake, it might not always be the right tool for the job.

rrright. okie dokie then off to get some malted milk powder and probably some malted milk balls and conduct some more tests. thanks dudes

Cathy2 wrote:HI,

For whatever it matters: I was at Highland Park's McDonalds on 2nd Street last night. A friend ordered the Shamrock Shake only to learn they have stopped offering it for the season. We just looked back in disbelief, especially since St. Patrick's Day was the very next day. Could not get a clear explanation if this was a planned cessation or they ran out of Shamrock Shake mix. It just seemed odd not to continue through St. Patrick's Day.

Regards,

FWIW,the Arctic Orange Shake is back at McDonald's. Not as good as the ones I made when I worked at DQ,but those days are long gone.

This thread prompted me to get a very acceptable, extra-malty, child-sized chocolate malted from Oberweis this afternoon. The child size does seem larger than necessary (I didn't finish it all), but on the up side it comes with rainbow sprinkles!

Ivy's in Edgebrook is offering a nice take on the Shamrock shake. It's called an Ivy Shake, and it really is mint. They top it with whipped cream and Oreos, and it's a delight. It's also not very thick, so if you're into that, I bet you'd like this one. It's 16 ounces, so I don't know if this still fits in the "small" range.

Our usual Malt place is in Cincinnati - United Dairy Farmers.

We always order a 24oz shake and a courtesy cup. 12 oz is just the right size.

Just saw an article on what a Shamrock Shake is really made of...

Glad I stopped going to McDonalds!

They serve a small (10? oz) shake at Broiler's Flip in Portage Park. It is average at best. Haven't tried anything else from the typical gyro-joint menu. Doubt I ever will.

Boo had an ortho appointment at Austin and Montrose yesterday afternoon. While I waited, I stole across the street to Broiler's Flip (what exactly do they flip?).

"Do you make a chocolate malt?"

"Yes."

"Small chocolate malt to go, please."

A few minutes later ...

"Here is your shake."

"Umm, I ordered and wanted a malt."

"We don't have malt."

"Then I wouldn't have ordered it."

"You don't want it ...?"

I snatched it up with a withering glare and stormed out. I would have slammed the door if possible. Damn those self-closers. Spoil much of my histrionics.

Broiler's Flip
6009 W Montrose / Austin
Chicago
773-736-3920

____

Yes, it really is not all that big of a deal. It has happened to me before, and I should learn to be more specific -- ask more questions: "Do you actually have malt to make a malt?" If they had said, "no," I would have gone some place else.

I really do like the option of ordering a small, though. Sometimes too much dairy makes me feel uneasy. Malt was originally promoted as a digestive aid for babies. I'm sure it's all in this baby's head, but I like to think the malt makes my tummy feel better.

-ramon

I'm totally with you on the small size beverages. I still order "short" drinks at starbucks. I love Potbelly for their perfect sized shakes. Love the Oreo and chocolate. Never thought about adding malt to it. I will have to remember that next time I'm in there. I worked at DQ when I was a teenager and used to make a carmel malt to die for. Yum!

Cathy2 wrote:HI,

For whatever it matters: I was at Highland Park's McDonalds on 2nd Street last night. A friend ordered the Shamrock Shake only to learn they have stopped offering it for the season. We just looked back in disbelief, especially since St. Patrick's Day was the very next day. Could not get a clear explanation if this was a planned cessation or they ran out of Shamrock Shake mix. It just seemed odd not to continue through St. Patrick's Day.

Regards,

On Tuesday, McDonald's welcomed four new Shamrock Shakes into the world. The Chocolate Shamrock Shake, Shamrock Chocolate-Chip Frappe, Shamrock Hot Chocolate and Shamrock Mocha all weigh in at 21 or 22 ounces*; both parent company and babies are doing fine.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct ... story.html