Posted on 04/20/2006 7:29:35 PM PDT by blam
Black and Tan ice cream causes a chill in Ireland
By Tom Peterkin, Ireland Correspondent
(Filed: 21/04/2006)
An American ice cream maker has launched a brand that evokes the British militia that terrorised the Irish during the 1920s.
Ben and Jerry's began promoting its Black and Tan flavour - cream stout with a whirl of chocolate - this month, but said it was unaware of the connotations that the name has in Ireland.
The offending ice cream
The company, whose mission statement promotes "deep respect" for individuals, has apologised for any offence their latest product has caused to the Irish.
The Black and Tan ice cream is based on the alcoholic drink of the same name, which is made by mixing stout with pale ale.
But the phrase originates from the 8,000 ex-servicemen who went to Ireland to keep order as Britain attempted to control republican rebels.
The Black and Tans were recruited to support the Royal Irish Constabulary and their name came from the mixture of police uniforms and khaki that they wore.
In November 1920 they massacred 12 people at a Gaelic football match in Croke Park, Dublin. The killings were in response to the IRA murdering 14 undercover detectives.
Yesterday Michael Laffan, the head of history at University College Dublin, said: "The very name Black and Tan still has a resonance.
"This is something that would provoke a response and make hackles rise in some quarters, because they were a nasty group. They did carry out a lot of killings."
The ice cream is available in the United States but has yet to be launched internationally.
A spokesman for the Vermont-based ice cream maker, which is owned by Unilever, said: "We have had a small amount of contact from people letting us know how Black and Tan originated. We were not aware of that.
"It was named because it's a very popular drink in the US. It was released in the United States before being promoted for international use. That's now being discussed."
They thought they were making something that sounded like a beer, and insulted a nation instead. Couldn't happen to a nicer group of leftists.
Ah, like the Nova. Very nice. Always pays to do your research before releasing a product internationally.
The SOB's ought to be castrated - if they have any to start with - Obviously have no brains.
And adding more satisfaction to the embarrassment, Ben and Jerry's is owned by the frogs!
Do people in Ireland really get offended at this or is this the permanent offense crowd at it again?
Ben & Jerry are black & blue from their Black & Tan.
Is B&J's gonna introduce "Brownshirt" in Israel???
Let's face it ... if the name of the drink isn't a problem why should the name of the ice cream?
I was thinking "Coon hound" as in Black and tan coon hound.
Idiots. How could they not know what black & tan would mean to the Irish?
Oh brother...
They should change their name from Ben & Jerry's to Dumb & Dumber's.
The latter.
Yup. Idiots for sure.
LOL! Great post blam. As the other fellow said: couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of leftists!
They should change their name from Ben & Jerry's to Dumb & Dumber's. Fidel & Che's
I figured as much. I know Irish who use "Black and Tan" with respect to beer and there's no flinching.
But I can still enjoy the Schadenfraude at B&J's expense.
Oh, and it doesn't seem to have been released in Ireland anyway.
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