We try the new McDonald’s re-engineered milkshake straw
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IDAHO FALLS — McDonald’s USA is launching a limited-edition straw designed by a team of aerospace and robotic engineers.
The release of the straw comes in conjunction with a new chocolate Shamrock milkshake, a seasonal beverage offered by the fast food restaurant.
To deliver the flavor ratio of 50% chocolate and 50% mint in each sip, McDonald’s turned to engineering firms JACE and NK Labs, according to a news release.
“It was a puzzling assignment but one with an ambitious goal,” said Seth Newburg, principal engineer and managing partner at NK Labs. “From a physics perspective, it’s actually quite difficult to deliver a proportional amount of both chocolate and mint flavors with each sip. But that’s exactly what we did.”
The labs created the j-shaped STRAW (Suction Tube for Reverse Axial Withdrawal) that will allow “optimal flavor flow dynamics.” Only 2,000 were produced in time for the launch of the new Shamrock shake and it’s only available at participating restaurants for a limited time.