The Ben & Jerry's Hot Air Balloons You (Probably) Had No Clue Existed

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... a Ben & Jerry's-branded hot air balloon? Yes, it just might be. For most of us, Ben & Jerry's is best enjoyed right out of the pint-sized container while we're cozy on the couch, but there's somewhere else where you might see the Ben & Jerry's logo — the sky. This beloved ice cream brand owns two hot air balloons, and this unorthodox twist on the classic ice cream truck is made to match the brand perfectly.

Ben & Jerry's has some iconic packaging. Most of us can spot that adorable outdoor scene from the ice cream carton anywhere. With that classic blue sky with fluffy white clouds emblazoned on the top of every pint, it's only fitting that this scene could fly in real life. One of the hot air balloons shows that classic image with the Ben & Jerry's logo. The other Ben & Jerry's hot air balloon is a bit different, but its look is an equally iconic representation of this beloved brand.

There are plenty of Ben & Jerry's flavors out there, but only one was made into a hot air balloon. Cherry Garcia (named after the iconic Grateful Dead guitarist, Jerry Garcia) is one of the brand's most iconic flavors. It was the second most popular Ben & Jerry's flavor of 2023 — after Half-Baked. If you haven't tried it, Cherry Garcia is cherry ice cream packed with chocolate chunks and cherry pieces. In addition to the hot air balloon that's made to look like the classic Ben & Jerry's ice cream carton, there's one that looks like an ice cream cone with a scoop of Cherry Garcia ice cream. It's also nearly 100 feet tall, making it much bigger than a real ice cream cone. That height is the equivalent of 11,700,000 scoops of Cherry Garcia ice cream. 

According to the Ben & Jerry's website, the balloons are used on "special occasions." In the summer of 2000, they were a central part of the brand's "Stop and Taste the Ice Cream" tour. Since then, the brand has even taken to social media on occasion to post photos of the view from their branded hot air balloon. We're all hoping to see one of Ben & Jerry's hot air balloons in the sky one day, but until then, we'll stick with our regular Cherry Garcia ice cream cones.