What Big Freedia wants, Big Freedia gets. The New Orleans native recently realized that she was due her very own Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor. But when her publicist reached out to the Vermont-based ice cream chain, they didn’t see Freedia’s vision quite as clearly as she did.
“The answer was no, right away,” the bounce icon told NOLA.com. Undeterred, Freedia mocked up her own take on a B & J flavor that she shared with fans on social media. Once the ice cream company saw the enthusiastic response, they were inspired to have her out to their VT digs for a full presentation. It was a resounding success, with Ben & Jerry’s social mission strategist Simone Washington revealing that Freedia had “middle-age white men twerking in Vermont.” A flavor was born.
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Big Freedia’s Bouncing Beignets pays tribute to New Orleans’ legendary sugar-coated pastry delights, featuring vanilla ice cream laced with with a bourbon caramel swirl. Freedia rolled out her new taste sensation with a classic ice cream social over the weekend at New Orleans’ club The Republic. The event doubled as a benefit for No Kid Hungry LA, Liberty’s Kitchen, and Upturn Arts.
While there are no current plans for Big Freedia’s ice cream to hit grocery store freezers anytime soon, the company says they’re open to the idea. “We want to encourage our fans and Freedia’s fans to tell us how much they want [the new flavor] on social media,” Ben & Jerry’s spokesperson Lindsay Bumps said. Our mission is now clear.
