A Sweet Partnership

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream has entered into a multi-year licensing agreement with PepsiCo to bring milkshakes to convenience and grocery stores nationwide this summer, according to a report by the Associated Press.

The new line of dairy drinks will be refrigerated, not frozen, and bottled in 8-ounce glass containers. The three initial flavors have not been released but likely will be icon Ben and Jerry's combinations, said Elizabeth McDonough, Ben & Jerry's associate new product manager.

The drink deal with Pepsi will be Ben & Jerry's first licensing agreement, she said.

"What we're really trying to do is bring the indulgence and reverence" of Ben & Jerry's to a new line of drinks," McDonough said. "For us it's about leveraging Pepsi's expertise in beverages combined with our experience in making indulgent products."

The Vermont-based Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc., now owned by the multinational conglomerate Unilever, is known for its rich, funky flavors such as Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Chunky Monkey -- banana ice cream with chocolate chips.

Pepsi, based in Purchase, N.Y., also sells Frappuccinos and Starbucks DoubleShots, refrigerated milk and coffee drinks, and flavored Quaker Milk Chillers.

"Right now we're looking to expand our noncarbonated beverage portfolio," said Michelle Naughton, Pepsi's associate manager of public relations.

The Pepsi deal is Ben & Jerry's first venture into the drink line outside of its retail shops, McDonough said. The company sells milk shakes, fruit smoothies, and other drinks in its scoop shops. Ben & Jerry's was founded in 1978 in Burlington by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. The company was bought by Unilever in 2000.