Where does ice cream go to die? In a melted heap on the sidewalk? For the Ben and Jerry’s ice cream it is to the Flavor Graveyard.
I never knew this existed. This so-called “Bone yard” was an online idea and a way for fans of de-pinted flavors to resurrect their favorites. But in 1997 it became a reality complete with headstones. You can take a tour of this graveyard behind their Vermont factory.
On their website, there are 34 flavors that can be brought back from the dead. But according to one article over 300 flavors have been put to rest. Each gravestone holds an epitaph relevant to its flavor. For example:
Dublin Mudslide 2005 - 2007
The bottle is empty.
The cup, and the glass.
Mud with Irish cream
Was not meant to last.
Some of the flavors were laid 6 feet under due to bad sales, hence Peanuts Popcorn flavor. Others were due to the increasing prices of certain ingredients. Those that can be resurrected depend on the number of people petitioning for its return.
For those flavors never to be seen again the website has provided and explained the Five Stages of Flavor Grief. I suggest you head over to their website for an entertaining “ice cream” take on the stages.
One interesting story about a flavor is Economic Crunch, a vanilla ice cream with chocolate-covered almonds, pecans, and walnuts. Made in 1987 and due to the stock market crash on November 6, a truck full of the ice cream parked illegally on Wall Street and started handing out free scoops. The NYPD asked for the truck to park somewhere else but the driver just drove around the block and parked in the same spot until all the ice cream was gone.
So what is your favorite flavor?
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