CINCINNATI — Cincinnati's Graeter's Ice Cream revealed a new flavor on Monday crafted specifically to celebrate the brand's home city and one of Cincinnati's favorite family-friendly attractions, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.
Inspired by the wildly popular and prematurely born baby hippo Fiona, Chunky Chunky Hippo will be available for ice cream fans in Graeter's Cincinnati, Dayton and Oxford scoop shops, as well as in Northern Kentucky and at the Graeter's location at the zoo.
The new, limited-edition flavor features a toffee ice cream base, salted roasted peanuts and milk chocolate caramel truffles. It will be served in cups, cones, dishes and sundaes.
Like all Graeter’s ice cream, Chunky Chunky Hippo will be produced in small batches. It will be available while supplies last, likely through Labor Day, according to Tim Philpott, vice president of marketing for Graeter’s Ice Cream.
A portion of the proceeds from each purchase of the new flavor will benefit the zoo. Pints will be available at Graeter's website in limited quantities.
“It’s two Cincinnati traditions teaming up,” Chad Yelton, vice president of marketing for the zoo, said. “It’s a sweet partnership, pun intended, and certainly with Fiona, she’s kind of taken over not only the city, but it seems like the world.
“We’re excited that Graeter’s came in and supported the cause and continues to tell Fiona’s story.”
In this photo provided by the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Fiona, a baby Nile hippopotamus, born prematurely Jan. 24, 2017, swims outside for the first time with her father Henry, right, as her mother Bibi, left, watches in the pool of the zoo's Hippo Cove exhibit Tuesday, July 11, 2017, in Cincinnati.
Graeter’s was founded in 1870, and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden opened in 1875.
The two Cincinnati icons partnered earlier this year when a Graeter’s scoop shop opened at the zoo, carrying 10 of the local ice cream company’s flavors.
“Back then we started talking about it and thinking of ways we could jointly work together,” Philpott said. “Obviously, Fiona was a phenomena at that time, and we just started to think about ways we could help and lend our ice cream to the cause.”
If the flavor sells well, the ice cream company would bring it back “in force” next year, available in pints in area grocery stores as well as in scoop shops, Philpott said.
“We’re hopeful this goes on for a long time, but right now we’re just kind of throwing it out there to see how well it’s received,” Philpott said.
Graeter’s Ice Cream’s unveiling of limited-time Summer Bonus Flavors in scoop shops and online continues on July 24, Aug. 7 and Aug. 21.