Ben & Jerry's Old-Hollywood Flavor That Apparently No One Wanted
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were an iconic duo. The dance partners dazzled moviegoers of yesteryear through 10 separate films over a period of 16 years, beginning in 1933 (via NPR). NPR adds that movie theaters were a cheap form of entertainment during the Great Depression, offering an escape from the chaos caused by the worldwide economic turmoil. This helped catapult Astaire and Rogers to a level of old-Hollywood superstardom and widespread notability.
Ben & Jerry's has been in the business of crafting delicious ice cream creations since 1978 (via Ben & Jerry's). The Vermont-based creamery is now the most popular ice cream brand in America (per Statista) and is also known for its flavors' connections to pop culture and, of course, the huge chunks of mix-ins that can be found in their pints, especially cookie dough.
The connection between the two? The iconic careers of Fred and Ginger inspired the famous ice cream brand to pay homage to the duo with a unique flavor dedicated to them.
The flavor with two left feet
According to Ben & Jerry's, the most popular flavors of 2021 were Half Baked and Cherry Garcia. These home-run flavors undoubtedly contributed significantly to the $936 million worth of ice cream the company sold in 2021 (via Statista). But not all of the company's flavor combinations can be winners. Just take a look at their Sugar Plum ice cream.
Another one of these famous flops was called "Fred & Ginger." According to Ben & Jerry's, this short-lived flavor was both introduced and discontinued in 1988. The flavor combined ginger ice cream to represent Ginger Rogers with chocolate bowties to represent Fred Astaire's iconic look from his films. Unfortunately, the tribute flavor could not strike a chord with customers. Out of the 47 shops that carried the flavor, only two re-ordered more Fred & Ginger when they ran out. In a 1994 interview with the New York Times, Ben and Jerry's co-founder Ben Cohen shared that he thought Fred & Ginger was a "great flavor" and suggested that it might have been ahead of its time.
For more flavors of the past, you can check out Ben & Jerry's graveyard, a humorous resting place to honor the flavors that are no longer with us. And for inspiration for your next pint, be sure to have a look at our ranking of every flavor!