World travelers (and Internet users) may be privy to some of McDonald’s more unique menu options overseas — pastries at McCafe in France, teriyaki burgers in Japan, brekkie wraps in Australia — but American outposts of the global franchise also have special menu items unseen in other states. The Denali Mac, a specialty exclusively available in the state of Alaska, is one lesser-known regional specialty that honors America’s biggest state with its meaty grandiosity.
The Denali Mac was officially added to McDonald’s Alaska’s menu in November 2006, though it was named the McKinley Mac after the tallest peak in North America, located in Alaska’s Denali National Park. In September 2015, President Obama signed off on the revision of Mount McKinley’s name back to Denali, its indigenous name by Alaska’s Athabascan people. Thus, the McKinley Mac also became the Denali Mac that month.
So, what is it? The Denali Mac is essentially a Big Mac, but with larger beef patties and extra special sauce, essentially celebrating Alaska as the special sauce of the fifty states.
“Ask anyone who’s ever lived in Alaska, and they’ll tell you that Alaska is just different,” a spokesperson for McDonald’s Alaska says.
The development of the Denali Mac also helps boost McDonald’s identity in the Last Frontier, where major chains are often skipped in favor of local businesses. ”Alaskans are an idealistic and fiercely independent people who are extremely proud to live in the Last Frontier. Because of their geographic distance and isolation from the Lower 48, Alaskans have a distinct preference to the ‘local favorite’ and are very wary of ‘outsiders’ – especially large corporations,” says McDonald’s Alaska’s spokesperson. “Study after study shows that Alaskans prefer to take their business to companies they perceive as their neighbor who have products or services that reflect and endorse their Alaskan way of life. Call it cold weather hibernation or a fascination with all things big, Alaskans flock to large portion and big sandwiches. Therefore, this Alaska-themed burger strengthens our relationship with our customers by answering the quest to feed their local pride and fill their large appetites.”
And while there are plenty of local businesses and burger joints to frequent in Alaska, when that airport craving calls, the unique Denali Mac is there to serve Alaskans and visitors alike.
