Get your eclipse glasses ready, folks. On April 8, a highly anticipated total solar eclipse will darken skies across North America for over four glorious minutes as the moon passes directly between Earth and the sun. Around 40 million Americans will be able to observe the rare celestial event, which will first be visible in Texas, cut diagonally across the country and end in Maine.
It’s a very rare chance to observe the sun’s outer corona with your own (safely protected!) eyes, and if you miss it this time around, your next chance to view one without leaving the U.S. won’t come until 2044.
It’s no wonder, then, that the occasion has given rise to a boom in astrotourism. Locations in the path of totality are going all-out planning festivities, from glamping in national parks with Under Canvas to immersive eclipse viewing experiences from the water via Boatsetter. And the food and beverage world is ready to rock(et), too. Read on for some of the brands that drew inspiration from the total solar eclipse for their latest launches.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
The innovators at Jeni’s have been behind some viral pop culture collaborations, like its award-winning Biscuits with the Boss flavor for the final season of “Ted Lasso” and a partnership with pop star Olivia Rodrigo that Savannah Guthrie declared “the most delicious ice cream (she’s) ever had.”
But they’re upping the ante with their new, highly Instagrammable Punk Stargonaut collection launching March 28 on Jeni’s website and in scoop shops across the country. Director of Innovation Beth Stallingsand the brand’s R&D team were tasked with creating flavors to take ice cream lovers on a journey into the unknown. The results? Three all-new flavors inspired by fictional alien fruits: Nebula Berry, Cosmic Bloom and Purple Star Born, plus the revival of a fan favorite: Super Moon.
“The word we kept coming back to was that sense of discovery,” Stallings tells TODAY.com. “I think about satellite images from NASA and how otherworldly the colors are.”
Keeping in mind that “we eat with our eyes,” Stallings says they aimed to translate those kaleidoscopic colors to something you can taste. For texture, Jeni’s even developed its own iridescent fizzy popping candy. “Honestly, they look like little pieces of what you would imagine space to look like. And they work really well against these vibrant-hued ice creams.”
Customers at Jeni’s scoop shops can get a free topping of Space Dust, along with Jeni’s-branded 3D space glasses to observe the eclipse, on April 8, and the online collection will also include four pairs of Jeni’s-branded eclipse glasses.
Oreo
It’s possible no brand is more excited for the eclipse than Oreo. In January, Oreo launched a limited-edition line of Space Dunk cookies, filled with layers of pink and blue marshmallow-flavored “cosmic crème” and popping candies to “create a supernova bursting sensation with every bite.”
They are also the first Oreos ever (in the brand’s surprisingly distinguished 112-year history) to show what’s inside, thanks to a small cutout on the cookie itself providing a window into those bright frosting colors.
And in one giant leap for cookiekind, Oreo is offering the chance to win an actual journey to the edge of space via space tourism company Space Perspective. Picture this: You’re on board a “luxury capsule” propelled by a space balloon arguing with your fellow astronauts over the right way to eat an Oreo and struggling to dunk your cookie in a gravity-defying glass of milk. It could be you! Oreo’s Space Dunk cookies are available atLiftoff.Oreo.com where customers can also enter to win the spaceflight adventure.
Perfect Bar
Perfect Bar made a flavor of its popular refrigerated protein bars just for the solar eclipse, going “perfectly dark” with the new Chocolate Brownie bar.With 12 grams of whole-food protein and 20+ superfoods, the new flavor blends freshly ground organic peanut butter, cashew butter and cocoa, and tops it all with dark chocolate chips. Chocolate Brownie is available starting March 25 at select grocery stores and nationwide retailers including Target and Walmart.
Smoothie King
Smoothie King is releasing an Eclipse Berry Blitz Smoothie in honor of the total solar eclipse, starting March 27 through the big day on April 8. The Eclipse Berry Blitz has bananas, wild blueberries, an apple-blueberry juice blend, a white grape-lemon juice blend, protein blend and blue spirulina (a superfood algae). The special smoothie will be available nationwide, but if you’re lucky enough to be in the path of totality, you’ll also receive a free pair of Smoothie King-branded eclipse glasses with the purchase.
Sonic
Sonic teamed up with former NASA astronaut and ISS commander Terry Virts, who is apparently a Sonic superfan, to get in on the eclipse fun.
“I’ve been a longtime fan of SONIC and even tried to make slushes, shakes and burgers in space,” Virts revealed in a press release announcing the partnership.
Debuting nationwide on March 25 for a limited time, the Blackout Slush Float consists of an all-black slush base, topped with white soft serve and blue and purple galaxy sprinkles. You can expect the flavor to taste reminiscent of cotton candy and dragon fruit. And every purchase comes with a free pair of eclipse viewing glasses, while supplies last.
SunChips
SunChips has the word “sun” in its name. Of course it has an eclipse snack in the pipeline! It’s got not one but two flavors in the bag, released in partnership with social media’s favorite astronaut Kellie Gerardi. SunChips’ Solar Eclipse Limited-Edition Pineapple Habanero and Black Bean Spicy Gouda chips are meant to evoke bright sunny skies and the cheesy moon. But wow will you have to work to get your hands on this “exclusive drop.”
SunChips is orchestrating a giveaway during the actual eclipse itself. You’ll have to tear your eyes away from the sky and visitSunChipsSolarEclipse.comto try to order a bag of the new flavor while supplies last.
Torani
Market researchers at Torani, which makes those ubiquitous flavor syrups found in coffee shops and bars, were ahead of the trend, developing a Galaxy Syrup as the 2024 “Flavor of the Year.” They even consulted with an astronomer on the molecular structure of dust clouds in outer space (which apparently tastes like raspberries and rum). Try out their recipes for aNebula Refresher,Galaxy Float, Outer Worlds Iced Matcha orGalaxy Dust co*cktail.
