Former Ben & Jerry’s Cofounder Debuts Newest Ice Cream Flavor
In announcing his new ice cream flavor, Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, proclaimed, “We must all stand up and protest, because all of America is now Minneapolis.” »
“The flavor I’m making today is called ‘The Maxi Hearts of Minneapolis,'” Cohen declared in a video. “Amidst all the horror and sadness, I am encouraged by the spirit of Minneapolis. Finally, a community standing up and putting their bodies on the line for compassion, decency and justice.”
The ice cream base blends coconut and passion fruit, flavors Cohen says are favorites among the immigrant community. The mixed “bits” include three types of hearts: salted caramel, chocolate, and red. Cohen explains that the caramel hearts “represent the tears we cry for Renee and Alex, and the sweat of the hard work we will do for justice in their memory.” The chocolate hearts “represent the love with which we will do this work” and the red hearts are meant to symbolize “the hearts of people across our country who go out to Renée and Alex’s family and friends.”
The message printed on the ice cream container reads: “This flavor is a tribute to the courage and spirit of the people of Minneapolis, who lead with their hearts and put their bodies on the line for justice and compassion. We especially honor the lives of Renee and Alex who were murdered by the masked, militarized and heavily armed thugs of ICE.”
Cohen used the announcement to declare: “ICE is a masked, lawless paramilitary force that blatantly violates the Constitution and tramples on our rights as American citizens. It must be dismantled and disbanded.”
Drawing a line between his activism and corporate branding, Cohen noted, “It’s not a Ben and Jerry’s flavor. It’s a Ben’s Best flavor, because Ben and Jerry’s is also in an occupation form, and they’re not going to say it, so I will.”
Previous politically themed flavors tied directly to Ben Cohen or the Ben & Jerry’s brand included “Justice ReMix’d” support prison reform, “Change is brewing” support Rep. Cori Bush’s police bill, “Kamala’s Coconut Jubilee” promoted in a get-out-the-vote campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris, and “Bernie is back,” a cinnamon and chocolate tribute to Bernie Sanders created by Cohen in a limited edition.
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield co-founded Ben & Jerry’s and sold the company to Unilever in 2000 in a unique governance agreement intended to preserve its social mission. In 2025, Greenfield publicly LEFT the brand, citing Unilever’s alleged silence on its values and independence. The same year, Cohen tent to buy the company, but Unilever refused to sell. The company has since spun off its ice cream assets into a new standalone entity called Magnum Ice Cream Company.
The flavor Maxi Hearts of Minneapolis refers to two recent fatal incidents. Renée Good was shot on Jan. 7 after allegedly speeding his vehicle toward an ICE agent during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis. Federal authorities said the vehicle was used as a weapon, while his companion, Becca Good, is believed to be under investigation for potentially obstructing federal agents. Video footage shows Becca challenging officers before the shots were fired, with some suggesting she encouraged Renee to “drive” while others dispute the clarity of her comments.
Alex Pretti was killed by federal agents on Jan. 24 in a separate incident. Days earlier, he was recorded on video shouting abuse at officers, calling them “trash” and daring them to assault him. Federal immigration agents reportedly documented information about Pretti before the shooting. He had taken a gun with him on January 24, the day he was fatally shot.
