The Grimace Shake is a limited-edition, berry-flavored milkshake sold by McDonald's to celebrate the birthday of Grimace, the purple character from McDonaldland who is known for loving milkshakes. It was first introduced in the United States on June 12, 2023, and later released in several other countries including Canada, the UK, Norway, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Japan, and France
. The shake is purple in color and combines vanilla soft serve with berry flavors, though the exact flavoring McDonald's used has not been disclosed. Consumers have reported tasting flavors reminiscent of Fruity Pebbles, bubblegum, or blueberry syrup depending on the market
. The Grimace Shake became widely popular on TikTok through the #GrimaceShake trend, where users filmed themselves drinking the shake and then staged scenes implying they suffered ominous or gruesome fates, often with purple milkshake splattered around them. This dark humor meme portrays Grimace as a sinister figure collecting victims, which contrasts with his usual friendly image
. McDonald's acknowledged the viral trend with playful social media responses but did not originally anticipate the shake's unexpected popularity or the meme's horror-themed twist. The trend is a form of absurdist Gen Z humor and is not related to any actual danger from the product, which is safe to consume
. In summary, the Grimace Shake is a purple berry-flavored milkshake from McDonald's that sparked a viral internet meme involving staged "deaths" after drinking it, turning the friendly character Grimace into a darkly humorous figure on social media
