10 things you (probably) didn’t know about Irn Bru

Think you know Irn-Bru? Here’s something you 
(probably) didn’t know.
IRN BRU
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IRN BRU 29/03/2000.......FILM......1..........NEG.....23A

As iconic as whisky and as famous as haggis, Scotland’s other national drink is widely enjoyed not just in the land of its birth but also across the globe. Synonymous with Scottish culture, most Scots claim they couldn’t live without it while others claim it is the best hangover cure around.

But how much do you really know about Irn-Bru? Here are 10 facts you (probably) didn’t know:

1. It was originally called Strachan’s Brew

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The original firm was founded in Falkirk by Robert Barr in 1875, and initially sold ‘aerated waters’, as soft drinks were then called. Robert’s son Andrew launched the soft drink in 1901 under the name Strachan’s Brew.

2. Barr’s dropped the vowels in 1946

The name was originally supposed to be Iron Brew but proposed branding laws forced Barr’s in July 1946 to alter the name as the drink is not actually brewed. The new ‘Irn-Bru’ trademark was first registered on Thursday 18th July 1946. Irn-Bru was born and the rest they say, is history.

3. Irn-Bru’s advertising campaigns weren’t always as slick as they are now

In the early days of Irn-Bru, a long-running advertising campaign was undertaken in the form of ‘The Adventures of Ba-Bru and Sandy’ comic, lasting from the 1930s to the early 1970s.

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Ba-Bru was inspired by the character of ‘Sabu’ in Rudyard Kipling’s book ‘Sabu The Elephant Boy’. Ba-Bru and Sandy introduced generations of Scots to Barr’s Iron Brew and were the longest running advertising cartoon characters in history.

Along with the comic, a neon sign featuring Ba-Bru stood outside Glasgow Central Station for many years, eventually being removed in the late 1970s.

4. Coca-cola is the number one selling soft drink everywhere in the world except for Scotland and the Middle East

Irn-Bru had dominated the Scottish market for over 100 years and although Coca-Cola has made inroads, it still sits a close second behind its Scottish rival.

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Irn-Bru is also the third top-selling soft drink in the UK overall, with Pepsi and Coca-Cola occupying the top two spots.

5. Irn-Bru isn’t made from girders but it does contain iron

The tagline ‘Made in Scotland from girders’ was used to sell Irn-Bru for several years in the 1980s.

Though the ‘girders’ were often thought to be a reference to the ‘rust’ colour of the drink, Irn Bru does have 0.002 per cent ammonium ferric citrate listed among its ingredients – a food additive containing iron hydroxide.

6. Only three people in the world know its recipe

Only three people in the whole world reportedly know the recipe for making Irn-Bru: Former company chairman Robin Barr; his daughter Julie Barr (the firm’s Company Secretary and Legal Affairs Manager) and one other A.G. Barr board director, whose identity remains confidential.

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Some claim the trio will never travel on the same plane, just in case.

7. Irn-Bru is made not just in Scotland but several other countries around the world

Irn-Bru is manufactured in five factories in Russia alone, and has been produced under licence in Canada, the USA and Norway since 2008.

8. Celebrities love Irn-Bru

Elvis Costello references Irn-Bru in his song ‘The St Stephen’s Day Murders’, with the lyrics: ‘There’ll be laughter and tears over Tia Marias, mixed up with that drink made from girders.’

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Irn-Bru is also known for its apparently magical restorative powers as a hangover cure and this prompted Billy Connolly to write and release an ode dedicated to Mr and Mrs Barr “for saving my life on so many Sunday mornings” in his 1975 album ‘Cop Yer Whack For This’.

In the National Museum of Scotland’s range of exhibits selected by celebrities, Sir Sean Connery chose a crate of Irn-Bru.

9. Most people prefer to drink Irn-Bru from a glass bottle rather than a can

Voting by fans on the Irn-Bru website shows a particular favouritism for the glass vessel, with 71 per cent voting in favour of the bottle and only 29 per cent voting in favour of the can.

10. Irn-Bru have always been keen on recycling

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The 750ml glass bottles that the drink comes in can be returned to the manufacturer in exchange for the 30 pence deposit paid – a scheme that is widely available in shops across Scotland. It was established in 1905, with each returned bottle worth one halfpenny.

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