By Adam Frisk Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
He said, “I’m tragically… chip?”
Kawartha Dairy released its latest flavour on Monday (June 22), bringing together two iconic fixtures in Canadian culture, just in time for Canada Day.
The family-owned ice cream maker and legendary rock band The Tragically Hip partnered to release a limited-edition, premium ice cream concoction dubbed The Tragically Chip, a name the dairy’s head office said was an immediate frontrunner that the band approved right away.
Armed with will, determination, and grace too, customers lined up to get their hands on the maple whisky flavoured ice cream at the Minden Kawartha Dairy on Monday afternoon.
Kawartha Dairy and The Hip announced the partnership in mid-spring, which coincides with two notable milestones for the region, adding another feather in one’s fifty-mission cap. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the village of Bobcaygeon, as well as the 10th anniversary of The Tragically Hip’s historic final cross-country farewell tour with the late frontman Gord Downie.
According to Kawartha Dairy, the partnership was born from a mutual love of small-town Canada and summer memories by the lake.
“We are delighted to be releasing this amazing flavour in the same year as Bobcaygeon’s 150th anniversary because honestly, without Bobcaygeon, there simply wouldn’t be a Kawartha Dairy,” Mike Crowe, third-generation owner and director of product development, said.
The collaboration also relies on a shared history with Bobcaygeon itself. The dairy provider was founded in the town nearly 90 years ago. Fast-forward to the late ‘90s, the town served as inspiration for the Kingston rockers’ Juno award-winning song, Bobcaygeon.
While Kawartha Dairy said it proposed the initial concept, the surviving members of The Hip and their families were actively involved in taste-testing the final product to ensure it hit all the right notes.
For day trippers and cottagers alike, a trip to the County, and The Hip providing the soundtrack, a pitstop in Minden for some ice cream has been a long-time tradition.
“This is year 72,” Cathie Gauthier, a London, Ont., resident, told The Highlander. “My parents brought me up when I was three years old… that’s how long we’ve been coming.”
When asked what the ice cream parlour meant to her after all these years, Cathie summarized it as “summer and fun,” while her husband, Bob Gauthier, said it simply boils down to “tradition.”
The couple, who used to own property on Halls Lake and now rents regional properties, said that the Kawartha Dairy in Minden was the anchor point for the family.
“When our kids were small, the deal was we would go to church and they’d always come here after,” Bob recalled. “Two years ago, we were up here with our grandchildren and our daughter’s family. And it was the same deal, we went to church and came here.”
As for the new ice cream, it seemed The Tragically Chip was hitting all the right notes.
“It’s delicious so far. I mean, I’m a big fan of chocolate and cherries,” said cottager Janice Rose. And when asked which ingredient stands out the most, Rose noted: “Probably the whisky, I think.”
Moe Genore, a self-described “big Hip fan,” also acknowledged the distinct flavour of the ice cream.
“You can definitely taste the bourbon, so you can taste a bit of alcohol,” she said. “And then the cherries and chocolate chips, yeah. It’s very good.”
When asked to pick a Hip song that pairs with the bold flavour, Rose went immediately to the local connection.
“The first [song] that came to mind was Bobcaygeon,” she said.
Genore pointed to a different classic, suggesting that Blow at High Dough was a better match to the flavour.
The rollout of The Tragically Chip ice cream includes a charitable component, with Kawartha Dairy and the Hip donating a portion of retail proceeds from the flavour to the Breakfast Club of Canada, a national non-profit organization dedicated to funding school breakfast programs for children.
“Both The Tragically Hip and Kawartha Dairy have a history of supporting organizations that work to help make our communities stronger,” Crowe said. “As food insecurity continues to be an issue among Canadians, a portion of the sales of The Tragically Chip will support Breakfast Club of Canada and the amazing work they do to ensure Canadian kids have access to a nutritious breakfast.
The charitable aspect came as a welcome surprise to many customers. The Rose family, who actively volunteer making school lunches in the city, noted that the donation makes the product even more meaningful.
“They should advertise that more,” Rose said, adding that knowing the proceeds support the charity “absolutely” makes the ice cream taste sweeter.
