The future of the ice cream maker remains unclear after the British consumer goods conglomerate Unilever said Tuesday it would spin off its ice cream business , including Ben & Jerry’s, into a stand-alone company. The brand would arguably be the crown jewel of the new company, of which Unilever would own a stake, but some analysts expect Ben & Jerry’s to be sold separately to another buyer. Ben & Jerry’s, the ice cream brand launched by a couple of Vermont hippies, generated big sales for its corporate owner, but also big public relations headaches with its controversial political stances....