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So you've probably read all of the fake stories and speculation about why there isn't a grape ice cream flavor. Actually, I never wondered, because grape reminds me of chewable cold medicine I took as a kid. If you Google search why there's no grape ice cream, though, you'll find plenty of stories about how it's illegal or has to do with girls and dogs…All of that is a bit crazy.

In an interview with Thrillist, Ben and Jerry’s PR lead, Sean Greenwood, discussed this topic in more likely terms. First, he debunked (kind of) the story about how Ben had a crush on Jerry’s sister, and attempted the grape ice cream flavor to impress her, but her dog licked the ice cream and died on the spot. Bro Bible reports that the tale goes as far as to claim that the federal government then banned the making of any grape ice cream or sherbet whether naturally or artificially flavored, because of its harmfulness to dogs. Wow, I’m sure glad chocolate wasn’t banned for this reason…See how crazy that is?

Anyway, the real reason is much simpler. “Grapes are a difficult fruit,” Greenwood explains, “because of the water content.” Cherries have high water content as well, about the same as that of grapes, actually. But the effect of making grapes into ice cream creates chunks of ice throughout the frozen dessert, making a creamy consistency difficult to achieve.  Since no one is really demanding grape-flavored ice cream, Ben and Jerry don’t plan on trying that flavor any time soon.

According to Thrillist, there was one brand who did try a grape ice cream flavor, sort of. Air Heads, better known for chewy candy, tried creating a grape flavor, but it didn’t really take off. According to Instagram, though, someone is figuring it out.

The way I see it? Challenge accepted.

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So you've probably read all of the fake stories and speculation about why there isn't a grape ice cream flavor. Actually, I never wondered, because grape reminds me of chewable cold medicine I took as a kid. If you Google search why there's no grape ice cream, though, you'll find plenty of stories about how it's illegal or has to do with girls and dogs…All of that is a bit crazy.

In an interview with Thrillist, Ben and Jerry’s PR lead, Sean Greenwood, discussed this topic in more likely terms. First, he debunked (kind of) the story about how Ben had a crush on Jerry’s sister, and attempted the grape ice cream flavor to impress her, but her dog licked the ice cream and died on the spot. Bro Bible reports that the tale goes as far as to claim that the federal government then banned the making of any grape ice cream or sherbet whether naturally or artificially flavored, because of its harmfulness to dogs. Wow, I’m sure glad chocolate wasn’t banned for this reason…See how crazy that is?

Anyway, the real reason is much simpler. “Grapes are a difficult fruit,” Greenwood explains, “because of the water content.” Cherries have high water content as well, about the same as that of grapes, actually. But the effect of making grapes into ice cream creates chunks of ice throughout the frozen dessert, making a creamy consistency difficult to achieve.  Since no one is really demanding grape-flavored ice cream, Ben and Jerry don’t plan on trying that flavor any time soon.

According to Thrillist, there was one brand who did try a grape ice cream flavor, sort of. Air Heads, better known for chewy candy, tried creating a grape flavor, but it didn’t really take off. According to Instagram, though, someone is figuring it out.

The way I see it? Challenge accepted.

Ever Wonder Why There's No Grape Ice Cream Flavor?

So you've probably read all of the fake stories and speculation about why there isn't a grape ice cream flavor. Actually, I never wondered, because grape reminds me of chewable cold medicine I took as a kid. If you Google search why there's no grape ice cream, though, you'll find plenty of stories about how it's illegal or has to do with girls and dogs…All of that is a bit crazy.

In an interview with Thrillist, Ben and Jerry’s PR lead, Sean Greenwood, discussed this topic in more likely terms. First, he debunked (kind of) the story about how Ben had a crush on Jerry’s sister, and attempted the grape ice cream flavor to impress her, but her dog licked the ice cream and died on the spot. Bro Bible reports that the tale goes as far as to claim that the federal government then banned the making of any grape ice cream or sherbet whether naturally or artificially flavored, because of its harmfulness to dogs. Wow, I’m sure glad chocolate wasn’t banned for this reason…See how crazy that is?

Anyway, the real reason is much simpler. “Grapes are a difficult fruit,” Greenwood explains, “because of the water content.” Cherries have high water content as well, about the same as that of grapes, actually. But the effect of making grapes into ice cream creates chunks of ice throughout the frozen dessert, making a creamy consistency difficult to achieve.  Since no one is really demanding grape-flavored ice cream, Ben and Jerry don’t plan on trying that flavor any time soon.

According to Thrillist, there was one brand who did try a grape ice cream flavor, sort of. Air Heads, better known for chewy candy, tried creating a grape flavor, but it didn’t really take off. According to Instagram, though, someone is figuring it out.

The way I see it? Challenge accepted.