For the last ten days or so, I have been meaning to get to this. While grocery shopping on a Saturday afternoon recently, I came across a product which I had first heard about back in July.
The grocery store freezer indeed finally had the Ben and Jerry's ice cream product, Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream. It consists of vanilla ice cream with fudge covered waffle cone pieces and a caramel swirl. It costs a 'mere' four bucks, and it 'only' has 280 calories. Of course, I loved every bite.
I am not normally a connosieur of all things Ben and Jerry's because they are both expensive and fattening. But, I was really interested in this product because it was promoted in a very unusual way.
Back in early July, I had traveled to Myrtle Beach, SC, and I found out that just down the road, Comedy Central talk show host Stephen Colbert was going to throw out 'the first pitch' by hurling a pint of Americone Dream to the catcher for the Charleston Alleycats, a minor league baseball team in Charleston, SC.
The game, which I did not go to, was actually rained out by the end of the first inning (see ealier entry from July), but Colbert did manage to make the first pitch and meet local fans.
I had talked to my sister who had as it turns out already sampled the product, which I couldn't find anywhere.
A few weeks went by, and I had my first glimpse of the Americone Dream. It was at a 7-11 in Mount Jackson, Va., in the Shenandoah Valley en route back from Maine. I would have got it right then and there, but we were on our way to visit the Meems Bottom Covered Bridge, which is three miles away from Mount Jackson. The timing just wasn't right. And, I would mess up my pants trying to get a decent photograph of the bridge! So, it wasn't to be.
I usually get the Iowa-brand Blue Bunny when I get ice cream, which is not every trip to the supermarket. I heard on the NPR talk show "Splendid Table" that Blue Bunny was the winner of some ice cream taste-testing championship somewhere. But, while I like Blue Bunny products, there is still something extra special about a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, and I suppose for four bucks there should be!
Ben and Jerry's is based in South Burlington, Vt., and they boast of using fresh milk from family farmers in their product on their ice cream pints. Americone Dream was introduced in the following way:
"Nation! Have a cold, bold caramel-swirled, fudge-coveredwafflecone spoonful of Truth: This is Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream!"
The product was a very crunchy taste, and the chocolate does indeed pardon the cliche: melt in your mouth. And, like most Ben and Jerry's product, it is very easy to come close to eating the full damn thing in one sitting. Although, to be honest_ and apologies to Colbert fans, I still think I prefer the Cherry Garcia. But, since I have a nasty sinus infection today, I think it may take me as long to come around to trying that again too.
Perhaps, by then, fellow Comedy Central personality Jon Stewart will have his own brand of Ben and Jerry's too.
Alas, I don't have Comedy Central myself, so I did not get to see what Colbert said about the Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) scandal. I can imagine the senior senator is not keen on having an Americone Dream for himself anytime soon.
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UPDATE: In a surreal coincidence, the Charleston-native Colbert announced he was running for president last night. I am sure it is just a publicity stunt, but he still might get more votes in the New Hampshire Primary than either Cong. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) or Fred Thompson.
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