Van Leeuwen Debuts Spinach Vegan Ice Cream for Popeye’s 90th Birthday

In honor of New York City’s Fleet Week, ice cream company Van Leeuwen collaborated with entertainment company Kings Features to create limited edition vegan ice cream flavor Popeye’s Fleet Treat inspired by iconic cartoon character Popeye. The flavor was created in celebration of Popeye’s 90th birthday and features a base of raw cashew milk, coconut cream, raw organic coconut oil, cocoa butter, and organic cane sugar. To give it Popeye’s “salty sailor” flare, Van Leeuwen infused the vegan ice cream base with organic spinach, extra virgin olive oil, turmeric, and sea salt. “When we were presented with the opportunity to collaborate with an icon like Popeye, we wanted to make a special flavor that was plant-based since everyone knows he gets his strength from eating lots and lots of spinach,” Ellie Zitsman, Head of Resreach and Development at Van Leeuwen, told VegNews. “With summer coming, we think Popeye will be happy to swap out his normal canned spinach for a triple-scoop of our spinach and olive oil-infused vegan ice cream.” The Van Leeuwen partnership is part of King Features’ year-long celebration of the iconic character, which includes the “Popeye’s Cartoon Club” comic strip series and a new children’s animated show on the Popeye and Friends Official YouTube Channel. The Popeye’s Fleet Treat is available at select Van Leeuwen shops—including the SoHo, South Street Seaport, and Hudson Yards locations in New York City—from May 20 until June 2.