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Who hasn't soothed their soul with a rich, creamy pint of Ben & Jerry's after a tough day? Or, for that matter, celebrated with a cone or sundae from one of the many Scoop Shops? But what do you really know about the beloved brand? We've rounded up 14 fun, quirky facts about the Vermont-based ice cream company here. (Obviously, these facts are best paired with a pint of your go-to flavor.)

Ben & Jerry's typically releases between five and eight new products annually. (Some are only available in pint form at supermarkets, others only at Scoop Shops.)
All Ben & Jerry's flavors begin with either a chocolate or sweet cream base — a mixture of heavy cream, condensed skim milk, and liquid cane sugar. Unique bases are made by mixing in extracts or purees and adding a variety of chunks, swirls, and/or core fillings.
Ben Cohen's initial name idea for the ice cream brand was Josephine's Flying Machine, after "Come Josephine in My Flying Machine," a song by Fred Fisher and Alfred Bryan. Thankfully, Jerry Greenfield was not on board, and it was instead named after the duo.
Ben & Jerry's invented cookie dough ice cream in 1984. The flavor was born out of an anonymous fan suggestion, the team got to work developing it, and the rest is history.
The iconic cow on Ben & Jerry's packaging is named "Woody," after the artist who drew it, Woody Jackson.
Other iconic flavors, including Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey, and Chubby Hubby, were also originally suggested by fans. The flavors made their debut in 1987, 1988, and 1994, respectively.
Fanciful flavors like Vermonty Python and Wavy Gravy aren't the only ones that have been retired. None of the original flavors — Oreo Mint, French Vanilla, Chocolate Fudge, Wild Blueberry, Mocha Walnut, Honey Coffee, and Honey Orange — are currently sold by the pint or in scoop shops.
Employees at Ben & Jerry's Burlington, VT, headquarters enjoy a variety of perks, including a pet-friendly office and three pints of free ice cream per day.
The Ben & Jerry's factory in Waterbury is the biggest tourist attraction in Vermont; about 200,000 people visit annually and take the tour.
The wildly popular Core flavors released in 2014 — Hazed & Confused, Peanut Butter Fudge, Salted Caramel, and That's My Jam — weren't the first of their kind. The Core concept was introduced in 2002 with Karamel Sutra and is meant to emulate a sundae in a pint.
Core flavors are manufactured using a proprietary funnel-like piece of equipment, inspired by a sausage maker.
Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day, which typically occurs in late April or early May, has been around since 1979; the first Free Cone Day was in celebration of the ice cream shop's one-year anniversary.
While Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry's in 2000, the ice cream brand's social mission continues to be managed by an independent board of directors to this day.
As of 2014, the 10 most popular Ben & Jerry's flavors are as follows: Half Baked, Cherry Garcia, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Phish Food, Strawberry Cheesecake, Coffee Toffee Bar Crunch, Chunky Monkey, Americone Dream, Peanut Butter Cup.
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