If you’re lucky enough to pull up to a McDonald’s with a working ice cream machine, there’s nothing quite like indulging in a frozen sweet treat. In addition to classic soft serve cones and iconic McFlurry treats (including the new flavor!), McDonald’s also offers up creamy milkshakes in several flavors. But have you ever ordered one flavor of milkshake and noticed that it tasted just a little different than expected? Maybe your vanilla shake tasted a little bit like strawberry, or you noticed a bit of brown in your strawberry shake. As it turns out, TikTok user and former McDonald’s employee Dessy Joseph says there’s a reason for that: the milkshake machine frequently clears a little bit of the last flavor into your cup.
@jodessy Reply to @shayaisthebest2 Milkshakes anyone? #mcdonalds #secrets #jodessy #jodessysecrets ♬ original sound – Dessy Joseph
McDonald’s shakes may have different flavors in them
Dessy Joseph (a.k.a. @jodessy on TikTok) frequently posts videos revealing “secrets” she learned from working at McDonald’s. In one of her latest installments in the series, she addressed a mysterious issue many people experience when ordering a milkshake from the fast food chain.
“Once I got a vanilla milkshake and it had red stuff at the bottom,” someone had commented on one of her previous videos.
According to Joseph, this is because the shake had some of the syrup from the previous flavor (in this case, strawberry) in it. “Why sometimes this happens is because the shake machine will pour out a little bit of the previous flavor before it pours the new flavor,” she said. “Sometimes, you’ll order a vanilla shake, and you’ll see the bottom is a little bit green because it’s Shamrock Shake season. Or maybe it’s a little brown, or your chocolate shake tastes a little strawberry.”
For most people, although may they end up with a bit of a flavor they don't love, this is no reason for alarm. "It's just leftover syrup from the drink before," Joseph confirms.
However, there is one important thing that anyone with food allergies should keep in mind: "If you're allergic, you have to mention it before ordering a shake," she says. Good to know!
This info doesn't seem to bother Joseph's TikTok followers too much. "I'll still be eating it," one wrote.
"Yes I got vanilla and it was basically a vanilla and chocolate swirl I wasn’t mad it tasted soo good," another said. Free double-flavor? We wouldn't mind either!
We can only hope this issue could involve a pumpkin spice flavor soon. Wendy's has announced a Pumpkin Spice Frosty, so a dream of a pumpkin spice milkshake from McDonald's is definitely possible. We'll keep our fingers crossed!
What may be a little more concerning than this flavor debacle, though, is learning how infrequently the ice cream machine is usually cleaned... but we'll just pretend we don't know about that.
READ MORE: The Real Reason Why McDonald’s Tea Is So Sweet, According To An Employee On TikTok
