Here Is Everything You Need To Know About Ben & Jerry's Newest Flavor
Ben & Jerry's partnership with Netflix, which has seen the creation of Netflix & Chill'd, Netflix & Chill'd's non-dairy option, Chip Happens, and Boots on the Moooo'n, will close the year with a new flavor: Punch Line. It's framed on the Ben & Jerry's website as a comedic duo of brown butter bourbon and almond ice cream with roasted almonds and cherries.
This flavor combination fuels the joke that opens their press release: "What did the bourbon say to the almonds? Am I drunk or are you nuts?" The joke teller, Wanda Sykes, features in the promotional campaign on which Ben & Jerry's and Netflix's comedy brand Netflix Is a Joke collaborated. She, Fortune Feimster, and Aparna Nancherla have similar jokes recorded for anyone who calls the number 1-866-PUNCHLINE. The point is to promote Netflix's comedy specials and the new pint. According to the release, some fans might even discover a way to get a free pint of Punch Line through the hotline.
Currently, the limited offering of Punch Line is in stock around the country for $4.99-$5.49. This is not the first promotional gimmick to spawn from the tidal pools of this ice cream partnership. For the Space Force-inspired Boots on the Moooo'n, Ben & Jerry's uploaded both a flash game derivative of Frogger and a VR ride to soar in the skies with a launched tub of Boots on the Moooo'n.
Ben and Jerry's in the age of COVID-19
As Ben and Jerry's explains in their press release, "This fourth Ben & Jerry's/Netflix flavor in 2020 continues to provide fans with something to look forward to." The Punch Line batch rounds off a surprising year for the ice cream industry. Sales of ice cream sold in stores actually increased because an unprecedented amount of people trapped in their homes turned to one of the ultimate comfort foods. Dairy Foods, an industry news site, claims that in a 52 week period, sales were up by 8.4 percent. In fact, fan favorites Ben & Jerry's outdid every other big name brand except Dreyer's.
COVID-19, then, has oddly been a boon for the ice cream world. As Rebecca Robinson, head of operations at Ben and Jerry's, points out, the brand has looked to remain fun and light while people are stuck in quarantine (via Dairy Foods). Even in challenging times, it's a bit of comfort to cuddle with a tub of Ben & Jerry's Punch Line and turn to Netflix for a Wanda Sykes comedy hour.