The Winter Jam Tour Spectacular has experienced a great deal of success in the world of concerts, and now it's trying to parlay that success into... food?
Yes, the world's leading tour in the first quarter of the last three years has partnered with Smuckers to create an edible "Winter Jam."
"The Winter Jam brand has drawn many thousands of people to arenas across the country over the years," said tour producer Ken Yamamoto. "What better way to bring home the experience than to spread it on your morning toast?"
Winter Jams will feature rotating flavors, depending on a particular year's tour lineup--with the exception of perennial flavor, BlueSong Blueberry. As the Winter Jam tour comes to an end, the inaugural flavors hitting shelves include Tenth Avenue Nectarine, Thousand Foot Kranberry, Everfig and Plum(b).
In early tests with focus groups, consumers had a wide array of reactions to the product.
"I thought Tenth Avenue Nectarine was really sweet," said James Garber of Chicago, "but I was certainly surprised by how gritty Thousand Foot Kranberry was. I wasn't prepared for that. It made my face burn and my ears ring."
Another early tester, Mallory Juarez, said, "I was most surprised by the Plum(b). Its flavor changed literally every time I tasted it. I'm not saying that's a bad thing; it was just very unexpected."
A tester who commented on condition of anonymity remarked that while the Everfig had an "Eastern zest to it," the BlueSong Blueberry "tasted like Christmas shoes."
The Winter Jam line of jams and jellies will be available at Piggly Wiggly stores starting April 1.
