There's a new Girl Scout Cookie and this time it's not limited to troops on just one side of the Ohio River. Girl Scouts of the USA Monday announced the Raspberry Rally, which will be available through online ordering only.
The cookie, which resembles and is being called a "sister cookie" to the Thin Mint, features a thin chocolate coating surrounding a crisp, pink, raspberry-flavored cookie.
Haleigh McGraw is director of communications with Girl Scouts of Kentucky's Wilderness Road. She has tasted the new cookie and describes it as "a refreshing bite of raspberry with a little chocolate treat."
No, it doesn't taste like hometown favorite Graeter's Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip ice cream — "not as chocolaty" — and yes, we did ask.
There are two bakeries that make and supply troops with Girl Scout cookies. This has led in the past to certain cookies being offered in some states and not others. However, McGraw says both bakeries will be producing the Raspberry Rally so it will be available whether the Girl Scout troop you buy from is in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana or anywhere in the country.
"This cookie being released is the first time we're having a new cookie released that is going to be exactly the same across the board with all councils because of the online availability," says McGraw.
"This will be the first year that we are unveiling a new cookie but not retiring one of our lineup," she adds.
How to get yours
Online cookie sales will begin earlier than usual. You can place your order for the Raspberry Rally starting Dec. 12. Regular cookie sales begin in January.
McGraw notes while some troops may order the new cookies themselves in order to sell at cookie booths, that won't be widespread, so if you want to try it, you'll need to go online.
Other cookie changes
Cookie lovers can expect some other changes in January, she adds, starting with the names of at least one cookie. Shortbread cookies — called Trefoils in Ohio and Shortbreads in Kentucky — are getting unified naming. They'll now be called Trefoils regardless of which bakery supplies your local troop.
"They're starting to make these steps for more consistency across the names of the cookie varieties that are available. Year by year we'll kind of see those things start to change... the Raspberry Rally, just like the Adventurefuls when it was released in person, will also be available across all councils."
While online ordering may be easier for some folks, McGraw says it also helps scouts learn about e-commerce.
"Our young women are going to be our entrepreneurs and our business leaders and CEOs and running our businesses down the road and we want to make sure that they have all the skills necessary," she says. "That includes understanding the components to e-commerce and starting from marketing all the way to that sale, learning all of those skills to run a business successfully."
