The Japanese soda with a glass marble steps out as a McShake for a limited time.

McDonald’s loves to serve up Japan-exclusive treats that appeal to local tastes, and some of their best releases have come about when they’ve tied up with leading confectionery brands like Calpis and Morinaga.

Now, McDonald’s and Morinaga are teaming up for another weird and wonderful offering, with the announcement of the arrival of the Ramune McShake.

If you’ve ever been to Japan, you’ve probably encountered Ramune, one of the country’s most popular carbonated drinks, which comes in a slim Codd bottle with a glass marble under the cap. For the uninitiated, working out what the marble is meant to be used for can be a puzzle, but people in Japan, who’ve been drinking ramune since they were young kids, know exactly what to do.

▼ Simply push the marble through the rubber opening with the flat top provided and you get instant fizz.

This fizzy soda has a lemon-lime taste and is so popular it’s even available in candy form, sold in small plastic tubes that mimic the shape of the glass bottle. It’s this candy flavour that McDonald’s will be using in the new McShake.

The flavour is said to be just like the sweet, only with a rich creaminess and an icy finish that makes it refreshing for summer.

▼ The McShake cups will feature the same distinctive colour as Morinaga’s ramune candy bottle

The Ramune McShake will only be available at branches around Japan for a limited time, from 20 May to mid-June, and will retail for 120 yen (US$1.12) for a small size and 200 yen for a medium.

Source: McDonald’s Japan via Entabe
Images: McDonald’s Japan, ©SoraNews24
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