29 November, 2016
We recently launched this old favourite in our lush green land last month. We wanted to share the journey that led to this awesome flavour being developed…no matter how strange!
It all started back in the olden days. Before cell phones (let alone smart phones!) and websites and tweeting for ice cream, our fans spoke to us via hand written notes pinned to the bulletin boards in our Scoop Shops. Some left letters, others bestowed doodles, and the passionate few shared suggestions for brand new flavours. We liked that last group a lot. Without them, we may never have introduced Cherry Garcia – one of our most popular flavours of all time.
A Legend is Born
Sometime in 1986, a fan up in Maine left the idea for Cherry Garcia on a board in her local Scoop Shop. The employees either missed it or dismissed it, because the flavour suggestion never made its way to Vermont. Luckily our fan was persistent. She followed up with a postcard to our main office in Burlington:
“Dear Ben & Jerry’s:
We’re great fans of the Grateful Dead and we’re great fans of your ice cream. Why don’t you make a cherry flavour and call it Cherry Garcia? You know it will sell because Dead paraphernalia always sells. We are talking good business sense here, plus it will be a real hoot for the fans.”
A flavour celebrating Jerry Garcia? What a perfect idea! We got to work right away—both on developing the flavour and trying to track down our anonymous flavour suggestor.
The Road to Launch
While our ice cream detectives began their hunt, Ben led the team of Flavour Gurus in creating a pint good enough to bear Jerry’s name. The original idea was to duplicate the flavor of cherry-covered cordials. It tasted good, but we wanted great. After more tinkering and toying and trial by freezer, the team decided to go with whole bing cherries (these are the wild or sweet kind). They had also decided that smaller than usual chocolate chunks in vanilla ice cream was the way to go – just a pinch different from today’s Cherry Garcia, which features cherry ice cream instead of vanilla.
The flavour made its debut on February 15, 1987. The chill of winter and nip in the air were not enough to put a damper on our fans’ enthusiasm. Cherry Garcia quickly became one of our 3 most popular flavours. We sent the first 8 pints we made straight to Mr. Garcia himself, and Jerry’s wife and publicist even called to say that he gave it the thumbs up!
The Search Concludes
Some months after the launch, Ben and Jerry were sitting up in Burlington going through the week’s collection of fan mail. They opened one envelope and a Cherry Garcia pint lid fell out. A closer look revealed a note scribbled in familiar handwriting. “I’m glad you made the flavour,” it said. It was signed by Jane Williamson, and the handwriting matched the anonymous postcard that sparked their creativity.
Wheels were set into motion, Jane was found and contacted, and she was invited to our next shareholders’ meeting as the guest of honour. She received a standing ovation along with a year’s supply of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Addressing shareholders, she said, “I can’t think of a better company I would like to have sponsor something I thought of.”
The Band Plays On
It’s been a long, strange trip since we received that anonymous postcard way back in 1986. A lot has changed with our company and with the world, but two things have remained exactly the same: Jerry Garcia’s music brings happiness into our lives, and Cherry Garcia holds its spot as one of the greatest ice cream flavours around.
So the next time you dive into some Cherry Garcia, why not share these fun facts with your mates. And if the craving has hit already? Make your way down to our Ponsonby Road Scoop Shop!