Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Taste-Testing Ben & Jerry's Schweddy Balls Ice Cream
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Sep 13, 2011
Modified Sep 14, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Sep 13, 2011
Modified Sep 14, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Last week, Ben & Jerry's officially debuted their limited-edition Schweddy Balls ice cream, which honors Alec Baldwin's iconic SNL skit. Needless to say, we were psyched, having anticipated the announcement since way back in June. So when the ice cream mavericks offered to send some Balls our way, we simply couldn't turn them down.
Schweddy Balls is described as "vanilla ice cream with a hint of rum and loaded with fudge-covered rum and malt balls." The packaging sadly does not feature any pictures of Pete Schweddy or the Delicious Dish ladies, Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon, and we must report that many amateur ice cream critics in the Gothamist office were left wanting more. The main issue seemed to be the balls: perhaps we got a defective batch, but the crunchy malt balls and the soft rum balls were very unevenly distributed, which resulted in a rather confusing mouthful. Some further thoughts:
- "The ice cream is really bland. Where's the hint of rum? [Bites into a rum ball.] Oh. I taste the rum now. That's a boozy ball. But it tastes kind of stale."
- "These balls seem awfully small—I at least expected them to fill my mouth. They really leave a lingering aftertaste—that must be the Schwedd."
- "The sensation of sweet rum-flavored balls swirling in my mouth reminded me of Christmas, and Santa...I mean this in a good way."
- "It's like they just took vanilla ice cream and put Whoppers in it. Cop-out."
- "I don't understand. Doesn't their Phish food flavor have fish-shaped chocolate chunks? They could have at least put the malt and the rum balls together to make a pair."
Taste aside, marketing analysts are hailing the flavor as the embodiment of successful advertising. And despite the quibbling from Gothamist staff, one pint was swiftly devoured—and we don't expect the other three pints to last much longer. Find out for yourself with a quick trip to the grocery store: Schweddy Balls is now available nationwide.
Tagged
ben & jerry's
ice cream
malt balls
rum
schweddy balls
taste test
Jamie Feldmar
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
Where are the cheapest drinks in NYC? A new report details the city's average prices.
The median price of a cocktail in the city is now $16, and $9 for a draft beer.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 19, 2026
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .