At some point, every one of us has experienced the agony of taking a trip to the grocery store, only to learn that our favorite sweet treat has been discontinued. Vermont-based ice cream makers Ben & Jerry want the public to know that they feel our pain. In 1997, Ben & Jerry created a Flavor Graveyard on a peaceful hill near their Waterbury, Vermont factory so that ice cream lovers could pay their respects to dearly departed—or, as they say in the sweet treat business, de-pinted—flavors that have been laid to rest.
Each ice cream epitaph features a poem which memorializes the unique properties of ice cream flavors that are no longer with us. Wavy Gravy was a lively, interesting man but perhaps naming an ice cream flavor after a savory dish may have been a questionable choice. Vanilla and caramel-flavored Turtle Soup is another oddball name that saw an early grave. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough never fails to draw a vocal crowd of mourners.
Coffee ice cream with Kahlua coffee liqueur. Bid adieu to ol’ White Russian. Our tears, they are a-gushin’. But in our scoop shops, please don’t forget. Dead it’s not, oh no, not nyet.
Fresh-picked peaches
trucked from Georgia
Tasted great but couldn’t last
‘Cuz Georgia’s quite a-ways away
& trucks don’t go that fast.
Vanilla with Chocolate Covered Almond, Pecans and Walnuts.
A delightful mash,
This flavor we remember
For the stock market crash
On the sixth of November.
Plum Ice Cream with a Caramel Swirl.
It swirled in our heads,
It danced in our dreams,
It proved not to be though,
The best of ice creams.
Vanilla frozen yogurt with gobs of chocolate chip cookie dough
So now we know: our dough Fro Yo
Just wasn’t as great as expected.
Folks who love Dough as well as Fro Yo
Love ’em separate, not interconnected.
The good news is that ice cream lovers can successfully petition Ben & Jerry’s to resurrect certain flavors. In 2022, Dublin Mudslide—which uses a dash of an alcoholic drink produced by Wheyward Spirit in every batch—was reincarnated in a slightly modified form. Ben & Jerry’s is a famously people-centered brand that is highly receptive to customer feedback. Your favorite flavor may not have to languish in the Flavor Graveyard for long.
The Ben & Jerry’s factory also features a Scoop Shop with a delectable tasting menu which allows visitors to sample some of Ben & Jerry’s most popular flavors. Visitors can order ice cream served in a freshly baked waffle cone adorned with sprinkles. Ben & Jerry assure us that sprinkles will never be buried in the Flavor Graveyard. Nor will Ben & Jerry’s luscious milkshakes, which are another Scoop Shop delight.
Address:
1281 Waterbury Stowe Road
Waterbury, Vermont, 05676
United States
