One Of Häagen-Dazs' First Ever Flavors Is Truly Unexpected

With ice cream shops around the U.S. and pints on the shelves in practically every grocery store, Häagen-Dazs is a household name when it comes to ice cream. But before the brand became what we know it as today, it was a family business run by Reuben Mattus, his mother, and his uncle. The trio made and sold lemon-flavored Italian ice in Brooklyn and the South Bronx from Mattus's childhood until about 1960. Struggling to get customers, Mattus did some research, then told his mother to fire their ice cream maker, and changed the name of the business to Häagen-Dazs.

Instead of lemon Italian ice, the new Häagen-Dazs sold higher quality ice cream in only three flavors: chocolate, vanilla, and instead of the usual strawberry, coffee. Though coffee was an uncommon flavor at the time, business would soon flourish according to Mattus's plan, and in 1973, Häagen-Dazs expanded its offerings, releasing flavors like rum raisin and boysenberry.

Today, most ice cream companies offer a wide variety of flavors, Häagen-Dazs included. The brand now sells flavors like bourbon vanilla bean truffle and chocolate peanut butter pretzel, among many others. But back in the 1960s, Häagen-Dazs stuck with the basics. During this time, it wasn't unusual for ice cream companies to have limited options (with the exception of Baskin Robbins, which famously offered 31 different flavors). The majority of brands went with chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, not coffee.

Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry were the most popular ice cream flavors largely because they were among the first to be invented. Before ice cream was mass-produced, the process required a fair amount of time and effort, and flavoring it with simple yet flavorful ingredients was therefore more practical. Considering chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry were reliable favorites, Häagen-Dazs' decision to sell coffee instead of strawberry ice cream was a calculated risk.

Coffee ice cream wasn't unheard of when Häagen-Dazs introduced it in the 1960s, but the flavor wasn't nearly as popular — at least in America. In Italy, coffee ice cream had been around since the late 1600s, and it was the most common flavor next to chocolate. By the 1950s, when ice cream production in Italy was commercialized, gelaterias became as ubiquitous as bars. Around the same time came the invention of the affogato, the coffee drink made by pouring espresso over ice cream.

That was the case in Italy, so why would Häagen-Dazs pick a flavor that was more popular abroad? The most plausible explanation lies in Häagen-Dazs' marketing strategy. Häagen-Dazs may be an American brand, but founder Reuben Mattus specifically came up with a name that sounded foreign. This not only intrigued customers, but also allowed Mattus to sell his "import quality" ice creams for a higher price. It's likely therefore that Mattus went with coffee as one of his company's first flavors precisely because it was synonymous with European ice cream culture.