(Bloomberg) -- For anyone seeking a late-breaking entry for the ice cream of the summer, here’s a candidate that may or may not technically count.
The viral water brand, Liquid Death, which was valued at $1.4 billion in March, is teaming up with popular ice cream makers Van Leeuwen on a singular product: Hot Fudge Sundae Sparkling Water.
The limited edition, 19.2 oz. chocolate-brown tallboy cans will be sold at Van Leeuwen shops across the country starting on Aug. 13 for $4.59. They will also be available in 8-packs at Liquid Death’s TikTok Shop and on Amazon for around $14. Liquid Death has produced 10,700 eight-packs of the 20-calorie, sparkling, clear liquid.
It’s the first time that the Los Angeles-based Liquid Death, which has a reputation for taking over the internet with crazy flavor drops, has collaborated with another company on a new offering. Their products run the gamut from carbonated products like Mango Chainsaw and Convicted Melon to the iced tea based Grim Leafer, all sold in dramatically Gothic-lettered cans.
The New York-based Van Leeuwen likewise has a devoted fan base for its premium ice cream, from classics like Early Grey tea to off-the-wall Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, which sold out its 6,000 pints in an hour in 2020. It’s also a first for Van Leeuwen to launch a non-ice cream product in partnership with another company.
“This was exciting for us to step out of the ice cream space for a minute and have our brand and flavors show up in a completely different product. We love what LD does and it’s been really fun to work with their team who are hilarious and total pros,” said co-founder Ben Van Leeuwen in an email.
“A lot of ice cream brands collab on really unique flavors. In fact, Van Leeuwen has a rich history of that. But no one’s gone the other way and turned ice cream into an original product like a sparkling water,” said Andy Pearson, Liquid Death’s Creative vice president.
Earlier this year, Liquid Death raised $67 million from investors like Live Nation Entertainment Inc., which sells the canned water at its venues. Liquid Death Chief Executive Officer Mike Cessario said the new funding would go in part toward creating new flavors.
The collaboration came out of a brainstorming call between co-founder Pete Van Leeuwen and Cessario on the possibility of drinking ice cream from a can.
Pearson said it was more interesting to go with the idea of a canned sundae. “Hot Fudge Sundae is just a much more interesting, complex flavor [than ice cream]. If you try it, you’ll get notes of the ice cream, the fudge, and you’ll even taste a little cherry in there.” He adds: “It’s sort of like in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when Violet tries the Three Course Dinner Chewing Gum. You’ll get a lot of different flavors in there.”
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