Get Your Hands On Some Schweddy Balls [Kicking Back With Jersey Joe]

Schweddy Balls – the newest Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor based on the Saturday Night Live skit has finally made it to your grocer’s freezer. The name is as hilarious as the skit, but while only available for a limited time, some shoppers are being forbidden from buying it.

Schweddy Balls gets its name from the popular “Delicious Dish” sketch that originally aired on Saturday, December 12, 1998.

The five minute sketch, starring Ana Gasteyer, Molly Shannon, and guest host Alec Baldwin was a parody of two DJ’s hosting a National Public Radio (NPR) show.  The two clueless hosts are sampling holiday recipes, when they are joined by Pete Schweddy, who runs a local bakery selling Christmas cookies. The sketch is a play on words, giving a sexual double meaning to his holiday treats.

The joke at the heart of the bit is when Pete Schweddy says:

“There are lots of great treats this time of year. Zucchini bread – fruitcake. But, the thing I like to bring out most at this time of year are my balls.”

It’s brilliant writing and is absolutely hilarious. The skit now airs every holiday season on various Saturday Night Live Christmas specials.

The Ben & Jerry’s ice cream company of South Burlington, Vermont is always on the lookout to create new and unusual ice cream flavors. To cash in on the popularity of the skit, they created the official Schweddy Balls ice cream. The ice cream is available only for a limited run, and after months of searching, it finally has made its way to my local grocery store.

Ben & Jerry’s has been responsible for a number of novelty ice cream flavors over the years. Sold in small pints, the flavor joins a long line of flavors such as Jimmy Fallon’s Late Night Snack, Cherry Garcia, Chubby Hubby, and Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream.

As brilliant as the skit is the flavor of the ice cream is just as smart – and there’s booze in there!

The milk chocolate malt balls and rum covered fudge balls inside Schweddy Balls.

Its vanilla ice cream with rum, milk chocolate malt balls, and rum covered fudge balls. Upon first taste, you can definitely detect the rum. The malt balls are crunchy and offset the additional splash of rum you get when chomping on one of the other fudge covered balls. They are quite plentiful and mine were dispersed at even amounts throughout the carton.

I thought the flavor had great taste and definitely can see myself purchasing more. It makes for a great snack for after dinner or just hanging out in front of the TV.  Sadly, it is only being produced for a limited time. The run began in October, and with Christmas just ending, this won’t be around for much longer.

Sam Greenwood, a Ben & Jerry’s spokesman told the Associated Press that Schweddy Balls “has quickly become the most popular limited edition flavor the company has ever produced.”

While pint after pint has been flying off store shelves, some grocery store chains have decided against carrying it due to the graphic name.

One Million Moms, an online self appointed watchdog group, has called the flavor “vulgar” and “has turned something as innocent as ice cream into something repulsive.”  The group is asking for consumers to send an angry letter to Ben & Jerry’s protesting the flavor.

Apparently, to be a part of One Million Moms you have to sacrifice your sense of humor. One Million Moms has also recently protested Macy’s for firing a Christian employee, a Lane Bryant ad they call “pornographic,” and ABC’s Dancing with the Stars for pushing a gay and lesbian agenda.

While there is nothing graphic or adult on the box, it should be up to the parents to decide if they want to buy it. It should be noted that the ingredients do list actual rum, but in such a small quantity that I doubt you will fail a DUI breathalyzer test. So, go ahead – operate that backhoe!

Ben & Jerry’s has come under fire in the past for some of their other flavors. In 2006, after releasing a flavor called “Black and Tan” named after the popular alcoholic drink containing stout and pale ale. In 2009, some were outraged over the special flavor “Hubby Hubby,” which was released to commemorate Vermont’s passage of gay marriage laws.

Watching an episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon while enjoy Ben & Jerry's Late Night Snack.

The potato chips inside Ben & Jerry's Late Night Snack.

Just prior to the release of Schweddy Balls, Ben & Jerry’s had introduced Jimmy Fallon’s Late Night Snack. This flavor is an unusual concoction of vanilla ice cream, caramel swirl, and fudge covered potato chips.

It doesn’t sound good either, but is absolutely succulent! Another can’t miss. The flavor was introduced with much fanfare on an episode of Late Night.

THE 411

Name: Schweddy Balls

What: limited edition Ben & Jerry’s ice cream

Cost: Between $3 and $5 for a pint. I paid $3.49 at a North Jersey Shop-Rite

Website: http://www.benjerry.com/flavors/feature/schweddy/

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS: Definitely give this a try. If you don’t like the flavor, it’s at least worth the cost for the comedic factor.  Won’t your friends be surprised when they open your freezer and see this?

Ben & Jerry’s ice cream can be a bit pricey, but you are paying for the novelty flavors that no one else has. I’ve also seen sales at times that can knock another $1 off of the price or even a buy one get one free sale. Just watch for it.

It’s up to parent if they feel this is too vulgar to serve to their children. Most kids won’t understand the meaning and shouldn’t have seen the SNL skit, anyway.  There’s nothing graphic on the carton, so that’s no concern. But, there is a bit of rum inside and it might be a bit early to turn the kids onto booze.

The flavor is limited and is only being produced for a few months. Most likely what’s in the grocery store now will be it. So, if you’re in the mood to try – you’ll have to act fast! Although with sales as good as they are, hopefully Ben & Jerry’s will bring this back next holiday season!

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