Sabrina Carpenter Van Leeuwen Collab

Of Course Sabrina Carpenter Is Dropping An ‘Espresso’ Food Collab With Van Leeuwen

Can you imagine a pop star singing a song about food in 2024 and not capitalizing on a food collab? Of course not! So nobody should be surprised about Sabrina Carpenter’s new collaboration with Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, a company known for its signature trendy package design (and “trendy” price point to match).

Carpenter’s new song, “Espresso,” which has largely been dubbed “the song of the summer” (or, perhaps more accurately, one of the songs of the summer) is the inspiration behind the—yes, you guessed it—espresso-flavored ice cream. The espresso-flavored base of the ice cream provides an ideal backdrop for chewy brownie pieces, chocolate chips and fudge swirls.

Want to try the ice cream collab for yourself? You can get it starting on June 28, when it will be released both online and at Van Leeuwen shops, where you can snag a scoop or a pint while supplies last.

It’s not the first time Van Leeuwen has rolled out a newsworthy collab. Some of the brand’s more head-scratching collaborations included a project with Kraft, which resulted in a mac and cheese-flavored ice cream. Even worse was a collab with Hidden Valley Ranch two years later. Normally, I try to avoid judging products without actually trying them, but in this case, the disgust factor seems to have been part of the draw.

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But the collab with Carpenter makes a lot more sense, at least from a traditional ice cream flavor front. Espresso and chocolate are a popular flavor combo anyway, and the concept is a no-brainer considering Carpenter’s chart-topping song.

Choosing to focus on an undeniably rich flavor profile in the summer months may be somewhat of a gamble, sure. Coffee-flavored anything usually feels more appropriate during the colder months of the year—and even more so when chocolate is involved. But Carpenter’s song, released in April just in time for warmer weather, is obviously intended as a summer bop; perhaps focusing on a colder-weather drink is kind of the point, in a cheeky way, for both Carpenter and Van Leeuwen.

Whatever the strategy behind the project, my guess is that it’s going to be a hit. When a hyper-visible pop star at the top of her game joins forces with a trendy food brand that sort of naturally fits her aesthetics, it’s hard not to imagine it being a success.

At this point, “Espresso” is running through my head on a loop seemingly 24/7, annoying my cat, my roommate and anyone who has the displeasure of walking too close to my apartment’s open window whenever I decide to (poorly) belt it out. Maybe once I actually get my hands on a pint of this stuff, I’ll have something to do other than singing the chorus over and over again. Until then, we’ll all have to make do with some of Van Leeuwen’s other creative flavors, like Buttermilk Berry Cornbread and Marionberry Cheesecake.

Samantha Maxwell is a food writer and editor based in Boston. Follow her on Twitter at @samseating.

Of Course Sabrina Carpenter Is Dropping An ‘Espresso’ Food Collab With Van Leeuwen