After more than fifty years of making music, multiple Grammys, an Academy Award, a Tony Award, a Kennedy Center Honor, and even knighthood from Her Royal Highness–there’s one thing that rock & roll legend Sir Elton John hasn’t done: played in the state of Vermont. Next Monday Elton will perform at the Green Mountain State’s Champlain Valley Expo Center, rounding out the list for the performer, who can then claim that he’s single-handedly rocked and rolled all of the fifty United States.
“We think he saved the best for last,” says Jerry Greenfield, Ben & Jerry’s Co-Founder, joking that the Vermont visit would surely fill a void for the performer. “There was only one way we could honor Sir Elton, and this monumental occasion, in true Ben & Jerry’s fashion,” Greenfield adds. The company is producing a custom flavor consisting of “an outrageous symphony of decadent chocolate ice cream, peanut butter cookie dough, butter brickle, and white chocolate chunks.” It is called Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road, a play on one of Elton John’s most popular song titles.
“I can’t think of a more fun way to celebrate playing my 50th state, Vermont, than having Ben & Jerry’s create a special ice cream, “Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road,” with all my favorite flavors and ingredients,” Elton John says. “I’m especially pleased that they will be donating the proceeds to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.”
Most importantly, the ice cream company was impressed and inspired by the artist’s passion for helping out the global community with his foundation and giving back. The company will donate all profits from the sales of Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road to the non-profit Elton John AIDS Foundation.
The flavor was designed after earlier meetings between both camps helped indicate John’s wish for something containing chocolate and peanut butter. “We were trying to compose a flavor befitting of the energy and creativity of the artist,” Greenfield says. “We’re thrilled with the final combination, plus we’ve got the Rocket Man’s seal of approval!”
The Vermont purveyors of other legendary rock and roll ice creams, such as Cherry Garcia and PhishFood, will offer the Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road flavor in a limited-batch at its Vermont Scoop Shops only for one week from July 18th – 25th, and at the show itself on July 21st. The shops will celebrate the week by not only scooping the flavor, but also playing Elton’s latest disc: Rocket Man, The Definitive Hits, and the DVD of the performer’s recent 60th birthday concert at Madison Square Garden.
