MAY 8, 2025 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | By Maddy Boneck
Every town has that one ice cream shop people treat like a sacred shrine. In Colorado Springs, Colo., that holy frozen land is Josh & John’s. Rain, snow or sun, the place is always packed.
Josh & John’s was founded in June 1986 by Josh Paris and John Krakauer — graduates of Middlebury and Colorado College, respectively — and, in the decades since, they’ve managed to sneak their way into the hearts of every local with a sweet tooth and a pulse.
As a college student living on whatever change I can find, I’ve only treated myself to Josh & John’s a handful of times. I don’t really have a go-to flavor. Still, the most unforgettable one has to be Purple Mountain Majesty: a creamy, taro-based masterpiece loaded with mini dark chocolate cups filled with raspberry. As someone who is a sucker for the fruit and chocolate combo, I’ve gotten it almost every time I’ve gone.
So when I heard Josh & John’s was creating a custom flavor for Llamapalooza — Colorado College’s end-of-year music festival — I was intrigued, and mildly suspicious. The reason for my suspicions was that they already have a CC-inspired flavor called Tiger Stripes (which, rumor has it, is just Yellow Cake with a sprinkle of school spirit), so I wondered how they’d top that.
Before trying the new flavor, I was told it was developed in collaboration with CC students and would include their taro base, plus brownie chunks and strawberries. My first thought? “Ah, so it’s Purple Mountain Majesty’s cousin.” Still, the brownies might add a richer element, and the strawberries could bring some tartness to balance things out.
Upon the first bite, all I got was the familiar taro base. Good, yes. Groundbreaking? Not quite. But as I dug deeper into the scoop, I finally unearthed some strawberry bits and brownie chunks. The strawberries were a refreshing pop, but the brownie chunks were playing an intense game of hide-and-seek. To be fair, I didn’t finish the whole pint, so maybe they were lurking at the bottom. As someone who loves chocolate in all forms, I felt slightly betrayed — but I’ll admit it: Llamapalooza Llama Spit (the flavor’s official name) is a different beast than Purple Mountain Majesty. The former leans fruity and light; the latter, darker and richer.
If you’re a taro lover, this flavor was practically made for you. The base is creamy, flavorful, and front-and-center in every bite. And as your scoop inevitably melts under the Llamapalooza sun, you might just discover those elusive frozen strawberry chunks — or even the rarer, more coveted brownie chunks.
Llamapalooza Llama Spit, along with other Josh & John’s fan favorites, is available in 8 oz and 16 oz sizes at the ever-wandering Scoop Bus during the festival.
Now that the doors are open for more CC-Josh & John’s collabs, who knows what flavor frontier we’ll explore next? I humbly propose a new flavor called RoCCy’s Road — a creation that could change lives and absolutely wreck diets.