It’s not unreasonable to say that the Girl Scouts of the USA might not even exist today without the quiet geniuses who churn out its new cookie offerings each year. The annual thrill of these cookie announcements leaves us temporarily inured to the pain of paying $5 per box, allowing GSUSA to raise millions in support of local troops nationwide. And this year is no different: GSUSA has announced via press release that the new cookie debuting in the 2023 sales season, the Raspberry Rally, is unique in a few different ways.
“The thin, crispy cookie is a ‘sister’ cookie to the beloved Thin Mints®, infused with raspberry flavor instead of mint and dipped in the same delicious chocolaty coating,” reads the press release in part. Raspberry Rally is the 13th cookie in the current lineup, joining last year’s Adventurefuls and Toast-Yay! as the latest offerings, and it’s yet another example of how the Girl Scouts absolutely refuse to standardize the way that these cookie names are pluralized. But I digress.
In addition to being a companion to Thin Mints, Raspberry Rally is also distinct in that it’s the first ever Girl Scout cookie to be sold exclusively online. So while you can’t purchase this cookie from the smiling kids outside the bank, you can place an order for direct shipment, thereby “enhancing girls’ e-commerce sales and entrepreneurial skills,” per the press release.
And in a move that will drive conspiracy theorists wild, the cookie will look slightly different and arrive in different packaging, depending on what region of the country it ships to. As explained by our sister site Lifehacker, the Girl Scouts contract with two different bakeries to produce its cookies, ABC Bakers in Richmond, Virginia, and Little Brownie Bakers in Louisville, Kentucky. Depending on which bakery your cookies come from, they might have different names—Peanut Butter Patties vs. Tagalongs, Caramel DeLites vs. Samoas—and some people insist that the quality of one bakery’s cookies is higher than the other (though not everyone agrees on which one reigns supreme).
The Raspberry Rally will even come in two different styles of packaging: Little Brownie will sell them in the classic cardboard box while ABC cookies will arrive in plastic overwrap. And while the LBB version of the cookie has smooth edges, ABC’s looks more textured, with a decorative scalloped edge. Will one variety be infused with more raspberry flavor? Will one have a more luscious “chocolaty coating”? There is only one way to find out, and it’ll cost at least $10.
Raspberry Rally will be available nationwide when cookie season kicks off in early 2023.