Finals Preview / Judging Instructions

Looking back on the road to the championship showdown + how you can help judge the final round!

So the first thing I want to say is that I have finally tried Cherry Garcia. It was a mere two hours ago, and I must say, I was thoroughly impressed! That’s all I’ll reveal for now, as I want to save my complete thoughts for the final round of judging.

Speaking of which, I’m going to need lots of help from you, dear readers, in picking a winner. But before we get into that, let’s get all misty eyed and look back on the road each of our contenders took to make it here to the championship match.

• Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia: defeated Van Leeuwen’s Earl Grey Tea, then Tillamook Mudslide, and finally Straus Mint Chip

• Mitchell’s Macapuno: defeated Talenti Mango Sorbet, then Fenton’s Toasted Almond, and finally, Haagen Dazs Chocolate Peanut Butter

What a journey it’s been for these two contenders! 🤣 It’s going to be hard decision choosing between these two as they are both excellent!

But that’s where you all come in. My request is this: please taste test these two ice creams, head to head, before Friday, March 28th and send me the results.

Once you’ve judged the winner, send me the results for each member of your household. For example, if you’re a household of three people, you could tell me, “2 of us voted for Cherry Garcia, 1 for Macapuno” or “All three for Macapuno,” etc. Once I’ve received votes from all the families who choose to participate, I’ll tally up the results and (hopefully), we’ll have a clear winner.

I’ll probably reach out directly with this ask as well, but just wanted to make it official here on the blog.

In terms of locating the Mitchell’s Macapuno, you can buy half gallons tubs of it at Piedmont Grocery. Better yet, you could load the fam into the car (or onto BART!) and make a trip into SF to the original Mitchell’s! And if push comes to shove, you can always stop by my place and I’ll give you a portion. Just give me a heads up. Getting your hands on the Cherry Garcia should be a piece of cake.

That’s all for now. Now go on out there and enjoy these two incredible ice creams!