Graeter’s and New Riff Distilling said on April 11, 2025, that they had launched Bourbon Ball, a limited edition ice cream made with bourbon, bourbon glazed pecans and dark chocolate. For families scanning the frozen dessert case, the surprise is not just that the flavor contains real bourbon, but that the ingredient list also includes vanilla bean, cinnamon and clove. Those details matter for shoppers weighing flavor, allergens and whether a pint fits the household.
The pint contains more than bourbon and chocolate
Graeter’s describes Bourbon Ball as a bourbon infused ice cream made with bourbon glazed pecans and dark chocolate chips. On its product page, the company says the flavor pairs New Riff’s Single Barrel bourbon with whisky glazed pecans and notes that the ice cream contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume.
The fuller ingredient list adds more specifics. On Graeter’s nutrition page, Bourbon Ball is listed with cream, milk, sugar, pecans, semi sweet chocolate, nonfat milk, soy oil, egg, natural flavor, bourbon made from corn, rye and malted barley, carob bean gum, guar gum, vanilla bean, cinnamon and clove.
That spice mix is the part many shoppers may not expect from a bourbon ice cream. The company does not market the flavor as a spiced dessert, but the ingredient panel shows cinnamon and clove alongside the bourbon and chocolate. Graeter’s also lists the allergens as milk, egg, pecan and soy, which gives families a clearer read on what is in the carton before it goes into the cart.
It started as a 2025 collaboration with New Riff
Graeter’s said in its April 11, 2025 announcement that Bourbon Ball was its first collaboration with New Riff Distilling, the Newport, Kentucky distillery. The company said the new release would replace Brown Butter Bourbon Pecan and called Bourbon Ball an evolution of that earlier flavor.
In a more recent company blog post published in late September 2026, Graeter’s said the flavor starts with a hand selected single barrel of New Riff bourbon rather than an off the shelf bottle. The company said that barrel becomes the base for a flavor built with real bourbon, whiskey glazed pecans and dark chocolate chunks.
Graeter’s also offered an unusual production detail. Because New Riff and Graeter’s operate on opposite sides of the Ohio River under different state liquor systems, the company said the selected barrel must be dumped, proofed, bottled and shipped roughly 100 miles to Columbus before returning to Cincinnati for ice cream production. That is a lot of travel for one frozen dessert pint.
What it means for shoppers at home
For home cooks and grocery shoppers, the main takeaway is simple: this is a real bourbon product, not just a bourbon flavored label. Graeter’s says the pint contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume, and its nutrition page confirms bourbon is part of the ingredient list. That makes the label worth reading if you are shopping for children, avoiding alcohol or checking for allergens.
The serving size is 2/3 cup, or 124 grams, according to Graeter’s nutrition listing. Each serving has 390 calories, 26 grams of total fat and 32 grams of total sugars. A pint contains three servings.
Availability can vary by retailer and region. A Kroger product page lists a 1 pint Graeter’s Bourbon Ball ice cream, but Kroger also says shoppers should rely on the package they receive because online ingredient details may differ from the label. For anyone wondering what really goes into Graeter’s Bourbon Ball, the confirmed answer is bourbon, pecans, chocolate, vanilla bean, cinnamon and clove.