Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry's are known for two things: creating delicious ice cream, and supporting lefty political causes. Since the 1980s, the company has protested Arctic drilling, climate change, and the Citizens United Supreme Court decision on campaign finance. So it's no surprise that one of them is even getting involved in the 2016 election.
The Hill reports that Cohen has created Bernie's Yearning, a custom ice cream flavor in support of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. The ice cream isn't affiliated with Ben & Jerry's as a company, but just reflects Cohen's opinion.
"Jerry and I have been constituents of Bernie Sanders for the last 30 years," Ben wrote on a website for the ice cream. "We've seen him in action and we believe in him. When we're out speaking on his behalf people always ask if there's a Ben and Jerry's flavor." Cohen decided to create a mock illustration of what a Bernie flavor looked like. And since the demand was so high, he decided to make 40 pints at home in his kitchen, donating 25 of them to the the Vermont senator's campaign.
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The entire top of the pint is covered with a chocolate disc, which represents the top one percent of Americans who have gained the most in today's economy. Beneath it is mint chocolate chip ice cream, representing the 99 percent. To eat the ice cream, you have to take a few whacks at the chocolate top, and mix them up with the mint bottom—a perfect symbol of what Sanders' campaign is trying to achieve.
If you absolutely must get a pint of this stuff, there's a catch: You have to win it. The Sanders campaign has started a contest on its website where you can enter to win the remaining 15 pints of Bernie's Yearning, but you don't have to make any donations to the candidate.
Though it's not an official flavor, the company has dipped into politics in the past. They created a Yes, Pecan flavor to celebrate President Obama's victory, and renamed Chubby Hubby "Hubby Hubby" to commemorate the legalization of gay marriage in Vermont.
UPDATE: April 1, 2016 at 11:04 a.m.
Ben and Jerry's founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield both took to Manhattan's Union Square last night to hand out scoops of their brand new flavor, Bernie's Yearning. And before you ask, no, this is not a joke.
The ice-cream giveaway, which began at 5 p.m., was part of a rally in support of Vermont governor and democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. And while Greenfield was at first the only founder to express that he was "feeling the Bern," Cohen has joined him publicly in support of Sanders. And a massive crowded quickly collected behind them.
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