Talk:Irn-Bru

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Glass bottles - refundable[edit]

I have removed the fact that they are refundable, due to the fact that the 20p bottles are vanishing as and when shops take in new stock now (you may still find some around). If someone can clarify whether or not you can still receive a refund from the new bottles (unmarked as refundable, instead just "hand it back") then it can be reinstated. Nessymonster (talk) 12:05, 11 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Looks like they just removed the "price" from the bottles during the change to 30p Nessymonster (talk) 23:29, 30 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I still find that many corner shops in Glasgow still do refunds on their Irn-Bru bottles (as well as other brands which use similar bottles), though the process of refunding the bottles has lessened in recent years with the influx in the canned version on the market, as far as I can tell its still prety common in Glasgow-at least amongst the over 40's-if not so the rest of the nation. Can anyone else account for other cases of this or is it only in Glasgow? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.153.202.96 (talk) 22:21, 17 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Regarding the various names for glass bottles "Glaise Boattles" doesn't sound like a special name, it's just how people pronounce the words, the reference to linlithgow seems to be exceptionally pointless because of this. Fyndir (talk) 13:26, 31 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You can fit 17 Ginger/Ginjie Boattles into a large trombone case. I know this is original research, but I was pally with my old school technicians and used to blag their old bottles. BTW, no mention of the big Ba Bru sign over Glasgow Central?82.0.25.104 (talk) 22:42, 24 February 2011 (UTC)Lance Tyrell[reply]

Urban legend?[edit]

The formula for Irn-Bru is a closely guarded secret, known only by two of Barr's board members.- cheese lolz

This sounds like myth to me, as it almost exactly mirrors the age-old legend about Coca-Cola's formula. The only online sources I could find were other encyclopedia entries which themselves appear to be cribbed directly from Wikipedia. What's known of the Coca-Cola legend also suggests that hearing this statement directly from Barr wouldn't change its credibility; the most the article could state would be that Barr claims that the formula is secret.

Depends on what is meant by "formula" really. If it's a silly substitute for the word recipe, then your source can be found on the bottles.Nessymonster (talk) 23:31, 30 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

This is true, a recent bbc news article proves it http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8066968.stm 84.70.176.29 (talk) 16:07, 26 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Legend is true[edit]

According to the Irn Bru site [1] the "Legend" is true. Here's a screenshot from the site:File:Irnbruxx.GIF


More proof: [2] 131.111.195.11 (talk) 01:57, 26 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]


Your definitions of "true" and "proof" are not the same as mine. All that BBC article does is repeat the *claim* that the Barr company repeatedly makes, that only two people know the recipe. This sounds like a marketing gimmick, to encourage discussion about the subject in pubs etc. But that BBC article is not "proof". We only know that Barr make this claim. It would be unlikely, and pretty anomalous for a manufacturing process to rely so heavily on two execs. But it makes a good story. Almagpie (talk) 08:20, 27 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

But if the "legend" was written by the manufacturers that's not surprising, is it?217.44.75.222 (talk) 19:39, 30 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Huh?[edit]

"...or that it is more popular than Coca-Cola in Russia. This is untrue, it's far more prosperous in Asabajan."

That last bit is nonsense, but I can't work out what it should say. Someone with knowledge, please sort it out! 86.132.142.201 04:53, 1 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It should say nothing about it, because there's nothing to back the statement up? I will remove the reference to Azerbaijan - if it's true, someone who can cite evidence should add it again. James Montgomerie 06:56, 26 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It is available sporadically in Ireland[citation needed], Belgium and, as of 2005, in Poland. Why would one country need citation, not others ? This also duplicates a sentence at the top - merge & delete one ? I imagine all this info will be commercially sensitive & hard-to-find. Plus - wouldn't a link to an online source of the product get deleted as advertising ? I guess the person that put that is just disagreeing with the alleged fact ... dificult with 'sporadically' there !

I can confirm that Irn-Bru is available in Ireland. I recently bought a bottle in downtown Dublin. It was at a little convenience store near the bus station on Lower Abbey Street. Though I agree with the "sporadically" part -- I travelled all throughout Ireland for almost a week, and that was the only place I found that sold Irn-Bru. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.204.78.188 (talk) 15:19, 20 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]
I have only seen two locations in Ireland that sell Irn-Bru. One of them seems to sell a lot of import goods though. So I'd say "imported by certain retailers in Ireland" rather than "available sporadically" 86.45.128.46 (talk) 23:11, 16 December 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Does anybody have any evidence, even anecdotally, that it's available in Ireland other than in Centra shops in Dublin? I've certainly never seen it anywhere else.--Handelaar (talk) 01:07, 16 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I bought some in a little village on the way between Dublic and Tullamore this year. Indeed, original research. (213.55.75.195 (talk) 11:48, 16 December 2011 (UTC))[reply]

Factual accuracy[edit]

This article states that "It has long been the most popular soft drink in Scotland, outselling even Coca-Cola, but recent fierce competition between the two brands has brought their sales to roughly equal levels (perhaps leaning to Coca-Cola) [1]. This success in defending its home market (a feat claimed only by Irn-Bru, South Australia's Farmers Union Iced Coffee, Peru's Inca Kola and Sweden's Julmust)" However, the milk article says "South Australia has the highest consumption of flavoured milk per person, where Farmers Union Iced Coffee outsells Coca-Cola, a success shared only by Inca Kola in Peru and Irn-Bru in Scotland.". Which is correct regarding Julmust? silsor 03:30, 19 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Julmust is seasonal; When it's available, it outsells Coca-Cola, but year-round, Coke outsells Julmust. 174.101.174.57 (talk) 15:25, 23 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Another fact i'd like to contest is the omission of Caffeine/Quinine in Canadian IRN-BRU, as i bought some in Montreal just today, and it most certainly states on the can "flavourings (including caffeine & Quinine)" under the ingredients list...

Maybe you bought an imported can rather than the local version ?

It seems that the canned version that can occasionally be found in specialty shops is in fact produced and directly imported from Scotland.

The bottled version though does not contain caffeine or quinine on the ingredient list. The distribution company (DFB and Associates) recently started selling the plastic 500 ml bottles which suggested that it was imported but the ingredient list is still the same.

Adding to the confusion is the fact that the bottle states that it was "packed" by A.G. Barr in Glasgow and "distributed" by DFB Associates in Markham. Does this mean that the Barr is producing and shipping a Canadian version without those ingredients? The article suggests that it manufactured under license in Canada which may not be accurate. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.231.148.157 (talk) 22:08, 13 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Ginger[edit]

The section on the term "ginger" doesn't appear to be correct. I've never heard anyone refer to ginger specifically as being Irn-Bru. I'm removing this claim. Chris Cunningham 12:40, 4 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I lived in Glasgow for 10 months last year, working in cafes, and I did hear some people call Irn Bru "ginger". "Aye! Gimme a wee bod'l ah ginger will yah pal?!". Am I the only one? Mikeeg555 06:49, 15 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]


I stay in scotland and the word GINGER is used very often. It has nothing to do with the colour.Its just another name for fizzy drinks "Get me a can of ginger" but also meaning coca cola, pepsi, sprite etc.

I lived in Glasgow too, and used to wonder whether "ginger" meant Irn Bru. It seemed to be much more popular there than in Edinburgh. As a piece of "original research" I asked in a shop for "a bottle of ginger," and got the reply, "What kind of ginger?" NRPanikker 02:53, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

"Ginger" is only used in the south of Scotland, we would never say that up north, unless talking about Ginger Ale - in which case we would probably say "Ginger Ale" Nessymonster (talk) —Preceding comment was added at 12:00, 11 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It's actually more of a West Coast, specifically Glaswegian, term. I'm East Coast (Perth) and no one here uses the term ginger.Grievous Angel (talk) 16:37, 11 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Hmm... sort of like how in the Southern US, any carbonated beverage is a "Coke," even if it's a Pepsi? Schoop (talk) 13:30, 17 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The new advertising campaign on the website (i'm not sure if it's coming to t.v in england...) is decribing the drink as 'it's fizzy,it's ginger,it's phenomanal' if thats reffering to the fact it's fizzy or the colour it doesn't specify... 7ACK14 (talk) 16:39, 9 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I've found that the term "ginger" is used throughout Scotland-not just the south...err...well at least up to the rural highlands. It seems to be used less often in some communities, but in areas such as Govan in Glasgow its the common term for the drink. Also the word has developed to refer to not only Irn Bru, but other carbonated soft drinks as well, it has been used as such for a long time as far as I can tell- go to any Glasgow old folks home and that's what the tennants'll call any thing that fizzes. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.153.202.96 (talk) 22:26, 17 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The term ginger is only ever used to describe red hair in the North-East of Scotland, and never juice with the exception of ginger beer. Irn Bru is never called ginger in these parts. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.141.182.9 (talk) 03:03, 24 July 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Ginger in this context is similar to the use of the word soda in the USA. Ginger can mean a few things:

Red Hair A Spice A refreshing beverage

The term, in drinks at least, stems from ginger ale/beer and has become a euphemism for any variety of carbonated beverage.

I know this as I am and always have been Glaswegian — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.40.52.144 (talk) 23:18, 7 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]

It it West of Scotland slang. Because first carbonated drinks available were ginger in flavour. It is not specific to Irn Bru. (213.55.75.195 (talk) 11:50, 16 December 2011 (UTC))[reply]

Iron content[edit]

The article currently claims the post-war legislation insisting on 0.125g of iron per fluid ounce to keep the name "iron brew" - this seems like an alarmingly large percentage - about 0.44%. Can someone have a look at this please, especially as the drink apparently contains 0.002% of ammonium ferric citrate? Ringbark 00:11, 5 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Does it not seem unlikely that a legilative requirement would insist on grammes per fluid ounce? Mixed units.86.26.241.109 (talk) 21:27, 3 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I stay in scotland and the word GINGER is used very often. It has nothing to do with the colour. "Get me a can of ginger" but also meaning coca cola, pepsi, sprite etc. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.97.22.70 (talk) 19:16, 16 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Irn Bru Bars[edit]

Do these actually still exist? Every online vintage sweet shop I have vistited is out of stock, and most of these pages point to WHAM brew bars. If they are not longer produced, I feel change to the section regarding them should be changed to reflect this. If they are still available somewhere, contact me asap! Elkrobber 19:48, 22 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

They are still available but very hard to come by. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 82.15.241.98 (talk • contribs).

I think they are still about, could have sworn I saw some the other day. I'll have another look about in a few days and reply if I see any or not. Tartan 16:46, 24 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah, they are still available, we have them in our local shopNessymonster (talk) 12:02, 11 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

For those that live in the Glasgow area they are prety easy to come by. They used to be sold everywhere, but in the last decade or so the number of shops stocking them has dropped, but you'll still find them in prety much any news agents that's not a SPAR or Rs McKolls, or that's just recently been set up. There's also a chain of "candy shop"s set up in Glasgow in the past few years which offer numerous different brands of sweets: including Irn Bru Bars.

And as a note...don't every dip an Irn Bru Bar into some Irn Bru...lest you wish to go into fits.=P —Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.153.202.96 (talk) 22:30, 17 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

In fact if you do that, you run the risk of tearing a hole in the spacetime continuum...82.0.25.104 (talk) 22:39, 24 February 2011 (UTC)Lancetyrell[reply]

not seen them for a while, some stupid bint mounted a campaign against them a whiles back. dunno who, when or if it has anything to do with them disappearance though so not much use. 87.254.89.157 (talk) 01:36, 17 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I think it was Marty Pellow's girlfriend Eilleen Catterall. She blamed Irn Bru bars for her dental decay. Apparently she didn't know that inhaling large quantities of sticky, sugar laden sweets will rot the teeth out of your skull...82.0.25.104 (talk) 22:39, 24 February 2011 (UTC)Lance Tyrell[reply]

pronunciation?[edit]

The pronunciation given on the article, with the stress on "Irn" instead of "Bru" is a distinctly English pronunciation. Scottish people stress "Bru"; in fact I find it very difficult to pronounce it with stress on "Irn". I don't think this is accurate for a drink that originated and is drunk in Scotland and this is why I am changing it now. Finlay (talk) 22:24, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not happy with the pronunciation either. I agree with Finlay above that emphasis should be on the second word - but pronunciation of the first word in the central belt of Scotland has not in my experience ever been similar to "Iron" the metal. What's Wikipedia policy though when a pronunciation has regional variation? Etrigan (talk) 22:02, 14 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Marketing[edit]

I live furth of Scotland now, and don't recall seeing any of the clever advertisements described on the main page. However, I was subjected to the Sandy and Ba Bru commercials often enough to still remember the words of the jingle:

"I am very thirsty" - alto rendition by Scottish boy (Sandy) in full highland dress

"Ah'm thirsty too" - basso profundo by stereotypical African boy (Ba Bru)

"Here's the drink that's made for you" - adult voices?

"Barr's Irn Bru." - everyone.

The racial portrayals must have offended some people and led to the demise of the series. I never saw how they would make anyone buy Irn Bru, unless the sheer frequency of repetition was meant to make sight of a ginger bottle trigger a replay of the jingle. NRPanikker 23:45, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

There have been numerous ad's that many might find dubious (example, a billboard of a man and woman embracing with the tag line "My two favourite things are Irn-Bru and Dick) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.40.52.144 (talk) 23:21, 7 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I've seen plenty of the humorous (and often risqué in a Carry-On movie kind of way) Irn Bru adverts of recent years. They're less often on billboards now (the 'Phenomenal' campaign now preferred) but your still see them on the back of Irn Bru delivery trucks. The one I usually see is a picture of a guide dog saying "While he's out refereeing, I drink his Irn Bru". Neldo (talk) 01:38, 9 January 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Irn-bru Xs[edit]

Does anyone have any information on this product?. . Irn Bru xs, an isotonic sports drink that was avaliable a few years ago.

This was an orange flavoured sports drink that was released in 1995. It was sold in 330ml cans which were packaged mainly blue with a bit of orange (reverse of the original), the can also incorporated an orange fruit into the logo. They managed to land a sponsorship deal with the Scotland national football team however this was to be the drinks main downfall. The team were supplied with the drink and after a lot of poor performance and vomiting during training the team were advised not to take it before training due to the strong sweet flavours. The team put out a statement that the drink was being withdrawn as one of their sponsors and then the there was a further announcement that the team trainers and doctors recommended that nobody involved in physical activity should drink this product prior to a workout. Shortly after this Irn Bru XS started to disapear from the shelves. I do not know when it was officially stopped.

On a personal note I tried it a couple of times, it was like drinking undiluted orange concentrate with fizz added, it was not one of my favourite drinks. Kmacphail (talk) 13:16, 30 August 2010 (UTC) Kev[reply]

. . . ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.209.6.40 (talk) 17:03, 24 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Package[edit]

Here in Russia Irn Bru is also available in 600ml plastic bottle (instead of 500ml), but I'm not sure whether I have to edit the page or something... 77.51.0.24 (talk) 14:40, 22 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

16.9 ounce plastic bottle[edit]

16.9USFlOZ is 500ml. Since the 500ml bottle is already listed, and the list rightfully contains no other imperial values, I see no need for this being on the list twice. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.111.162.127 (talk) 14:25, 21 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Irn-Bru vs Coca Cola[edit]

Is there some sort of competition with the two companies (Barr and Coca-Cola)? LOTRrules (talk) 18:26, 23 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Of course... as there is competition between any two companies who make similar products. Nessymonster (talk) 12:03, 11 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Link 16 (Herald)[edit]

Seems to not work for me as the Herald website has taken down the linked page about Irn-Bru 32.Dead link. 87.80.198.189 (talk) 20:06, 10 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

How?[edit]

If one of the ingredients of Irn Bru is E124 (the red food colouring) how is Irn Bru available for sale in the United States and Norway? E124 is banned in both of these countries. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Rykaro (talk • contribs) 08:39, 2 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Strachan's Brew?[edit]

"Irn-Bru was first produced in 1901, in the town of Falkirk, under the name Strachan's brew."

Not true. No one knows where this idea came from, but it's not the case. Its earliest name was IRON BREW, before becoming IRN-BRU in the 1940s. Here's the company website, history pages. MFC23 (talk) 11:06, 2 January 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Not according to this news article. It was always Iron Brew (before the spelling was changed). Other news articles do support the Strachan's Brew theory but who knows how many of them got that from this very article? Any reliable source? It's odd that the website of this historic brand doesn't seem to have a history section. Flapdragon (talk) 23:52, 26 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It is "Colour" in the infobox and "Color" on the (linking) Coca-Cola page. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.169.61.244 (talk) 08:54, 11 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]


Not only that but a paragraph later a completely different history is give, A.G Barr and steel workers!!! Which is it ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.33.114.129 (talk) 17:37, 2 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Big Match Can[edit]

No reference to the "Big Match Can" premotion that's recently been released to coincide with the World cup. I don't know the specifics, but there what King Noodles are to Pot Noodles. =P —Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.153.202.96 (talk) 22:33, 17 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

'Canada' section is confusing[edit]

I don't understand which particular beverage the third paragraph under "Canada" is talking about:

I can't speak to the Montreal stuff.. but the product below (Cape Breton's Irn Bru) was discontinued around 2006, it was a dark brown, almost cola-like in a appearance, beverage which has been discontinued for about 20 years now. I'm not sure when the Scottish Irn-Bru began competing in the Canadian market, but that timeline might line up with it disappearing. The family story about this Cape Breton Irn Bru was that there was a deal in place for William McKinlay of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia to purchase and import concentrate from Scotland to make his own drink (McKinlay was himself a Scot from outside Glasgow). McKinlay's was in operation from about 1901-1988 and after that the local Pepsi Co facility sold Cape Breton Irn Bru from about 1990-2006. After which the local manufacturer had to discontinue production as they couldn't import the concentrate from Scotland any longer. Hypothesizing, but it could make sense Irn-Bru cut them off if they intended to expand into Canada at that time with their original beverage. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.90.81.143 (talk) 13:32, 6 July 2022 (UTC)[reply]

The now-defunct McKinley/McInlay soft-drink company in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada for many years offered its own non-licensed beverage called "Iron Brew". It was a brown carbonated soft-drink with a fruity cola taste. After the company stopped operations ca. 1990, PepsiCo continued to sell the drink locally as "Cape Breton's Irn Bru". The packaging consisted of plainly labelled plastic bottles (black text on a featureless white label) and a disclaimer "Not a source of Iron".



As of 2006, this product seems to be very difficult to find, but not impossible. There is a small store in Montreal West (Quebec) called Bramble House that imports this beverage direct from Scotland so there are no alterations made to it.

If the company called Bramble House imports "this product" direct from Scotland, then it cannot be referring to the same product as the previous paragraph which is apparently made in Canada. So what exactly do "this product" and "the beverage" apply to here? 86.132.57.221 (talk) 13:02, 14 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

There is a small store in Montreal West (Québec) called Bramble House that imports the beverage from Scotland so there are no alterations made to it. In December 2010 Bramble House sold both the original (Scottish) bru and the Canadian (no quinine, no caffeine) versions. The cans were Scottish, the bottles were Canadian (still said "imported from Scotland" but contained no quinine, no caffeine).)

The above paragraph seems to me like an advert. Its purpose to encourage people to find this store in Montreal and buy Irn Bru products. Maybe this should be deleted or rewritten? (Il cacciatore (talk) 14:37, 8 April 2011 (UTC))[reply]

Was this article written by the Company or someone who works for the company?[edit]

Was this article written by the Company or someone who works for the company? It sure reads like it.--99.177.248.92 (talk) 22:16, 15 December 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I agree - it reads like marketing hype. Why invent a sweet, fizzy drink as an alternative to beer - what's wrong with water? The story that I have heard is that Iron Brew/Irn Bru was created to counteract anaemia in Glaswegian bairns. It was intended to be palatable to kids, so flavoured, fizzy and sweet, and contained iron to prevent anaemia, hence the name.217.44.75.222 (talk) 19:37, 30 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Strong man Emblem[edit]

The strong man emblem which is on Irn Bru cans and bottles was orignally based on the famous Scottish strongman and athlete, Donald Dinnie, who advertised the drink http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_dinnie#cite_note-BBC-1 (79.190.69.142 (talk) 11:35, 4 June 2011 (UTC))[reply]

Origins - Steelworks Story - People dying? Really?[edit]

From the opening section "When workers from the William Beardmore and Company Steel Works in Glasgow were dying from the large amounts of beer drunk to quench their thirst from the heat of the steel works, an alternative was sought."

This is an extroadinary claim, that beer was killing steelworkers. Where's the citation? Also, we're still waiting for a cite for the "alternative" being sought, and by whom. This sentence screams of urban legend. Almagpie (talk) 08:25, 27 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I've heard that Glaswegians are supposed to be hard drinkers, but I find it hard to believe that they would rather die by alcohol poisoning than drink water. Nezuji (talk) 01:54, 3 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

It is plausible that they weren't actually dying from beer consumption, just rendering themselves incapable. This might still have induced the Steel Works managers to agree a deal for supply of a soft drink. Maproom (talk) 21:03, 25 June 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Canada caffeine[edit]

Irn-Bru sold in Canada now contains caffeine; Health Canada extended the use of caffeine to non-cola soft drinks. It says it is the original formula on the bottle. 204.235.221.199 (talk) 20:05, 3 October 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Scottish Culture[edit]

Would it be possible for a section to be added on Irn-Bru's specific place in Scottish culture? What I mean is with regards to it being our "second national drink"; its fabled properties as a hangover remedy; the fact that in certain areas "ginger" has become a genericised name for all carbonated drinks; the fact that people can exchange glass Irn-Bru bottles (or 'gingies' or 'hectors' or one of many other names) for what should be cash but is usually just store credit; that this practice of keeping glass bottles and exchanging them is very common and likely more so than in other places with refundable bottles; that young kids often find and collect these bottles for money for sweets; that while there is little to no stigma attached to exchanging your own old bottles, no one wants to be branded a 'gingie collector' or 'hector collector' or 'bottle mink' for going round looking for them. Also, if sources exist, it could be put forward that many Scots feel a brand loyalty to Irn-Bru not just based on the product, but also national pride, seeing it in the same way the English might see fish and chips or the Irish see Guinness.

Our relationship to Irn-Bru (and the gingie bottles it comes in) can be seen in any of the many Scottish comedy shows broadcast over the years including Chewin' The Fat, Still Game, Rab C Nesbitt, Burnistoun and the work of the comedy group Dance Monkey Boy Dance on Youtube. Neldo (talk) 02:00, 9 January 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Classic edit summary; classic advertising[edit]

I must admit to having a wee chuckle at the ip editor who wrote "it's not a Scottish drink", while requesting a citation for one of the most weel kent advertising slogans in Scottish commercial history. Some folks really do have no shame. Despite the patent silliness of the request, I have duly provided refs. However, I couldn't resist pointing out this wonderful piece of Barr's artwork:

Stick that in your ip pipe and smoke it. It escapes me why folk don't just log in to their accounts to make edits. Is it because they have enough self-awareness that they don't want to be caught making daft edits? --Mais oui! (talk) 16:29, 5 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Merger[edit]

Latest news is that Barrs has been bought out/merged with Britvic. The news report said that Barrs Iron Brew was first produced in the 1870s 87.114.59.193 (talk) 21:38, 9 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

As you haven't provided your source it's difficult to pass comment but I imagine it actually says Barrs was founded in 1875, not Irn Bru. Mutt Lunker (talk) 22:46, 9 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Denmark - confirmation of sales[edit]

Netto does indeed carry them from time to time. I have a bill of sale from today with them listed that I would have no issues uploading if that counts as a creditable source. ~~TNFSDK~~

I too can confirm that Netto sells Irn-Bru. - clb92 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.145.105.47 (talk) 17:14, 19 September 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Irn Bru - Canada[edit]

You can probably remove the sentence about this being stopped at the border. As this article from a Canadian news outlet explains (http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/marmite-and-irn-bru-are-not-banned-in-canada-agency-says-1.1656150) it was all a media over reaction and the shipment was actually stopped by the CFIA due to meat products that were in the same shipment not having the proper documentation. 80.254.148.187 (talk) 14:10, 10 February 2014 (UTC)[reply]

So what is it?[edit]

Beyond that it is a carbonated beverage, there is no description of the actual product here. There's stuff about lesser ingredients, and controversies surrounding the artificial colors, but nothing about what contributes to its flavor. Seriously, isn't it wierd to describe the sizes of all the cans its available in, without telling us what's in the can? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 47.16.138.47 (talk) 06:28, 9 July 2014 (UTC)[reply]

"Their website states:
Ingredients
Regular
Carbonated water, sugar (carbohydrate), citric acid, flavourings (including caffeine and quinine), preservative (E211), colours (E110, E124) ammonium ferric citrate (0.002%)
Sugar Free
Carbonated water, citric acid, flavourings (including caffeine and quinine), sweeteners (acesulfame K, aspartame), preservative (E211), colours (E110, E124), ammonium ferric citrate (0.002%)
Secret Ingredients
Aye, nice try!
You'd have a better chance of getting your head round a u-bend.
And that ain't gonna happen." Mutt Lunker (talk) 11:21, 9 July 2014 (UTC)[reply]
I have heard that it has a vaguely citrus flavor, but would love to have a reputable source actually describing what the drink tastes like. clonk bonk 00:33, 3 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Never heard of it. What is it?[edit]

Never heard of Irn Bru. Came here to find out what the stuff is. However, in amidst the dross of its popularity in scotland and its sales history everywhere else, the wikipedia completely fails to answer one simple question: What the f**k is Irn Bru? Yeah, I get that it's a carbonated soft drink that's popular in scotland. Big deal! What is it? Is it a type of cola? Is it flavoured? If I drank it, what should I be expecting? Your article on the american Doctor Pepper drink struggles to define the flavour but at least it provides a decent hint, not like this piece of uninformative dross. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 175.38.231.169 (talk) 07:35, 7 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Some describe it as a fruit flavoured drink, but TBH is hard to describe. It is simply a sweet, clear fizzy drink with a distinct orange colour. It looks a bit like Tizer, which is red in colour, and tastes a little similar, in that both are sweet. Funnily enough, Firey Irn Bru didn't taste out of place. 2.101.150.210 (talk) 16:57, 4 April 2016 (UTC)Lance Tyrell[reply]
It tastes as if Bender has pissed in a can. With a bad case of robot diabetes. Andy Dingley (talk) 17:15, 4 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Is it a kind of orange soda? Ghostofnemo (talk) 08:35, 10 May 2018 (UTC)[reply]
I am having one now, first time, and I can't place the flavor. Anyone?--Kintetsubuffalo (talk) 06:04, 27 January 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Taste?[edit]

No hints at all given about what it tastes like. It is a cola? Root beer? Ginger ale? What? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 184.147.123.145 (talk) 23:15, 12 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

No. Mutt Lunker (talk) 23:57, 12 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Irn-Bru and Bells whisky[edit]

Can't see his mentioned anywhere. It's a popular mixer in Scotland. During the alcopop boom of the '90s, small pre-mixed bottles of it were also sold directly. Andy Dingley (talk) 08:01, 28 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

It's mentioned slightly in the Portfolio section, but there's little information about the other varieties that have come and gone. I used to love XS and Fiery (Stockpiled the latter after they withdrew it, but eventually ran out.) Stuart.Jamieson (talk) 10:04, 29 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

External links modified[edit]

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Canada section incorrect[edit]

Hey, I was reading over the Canada section, and as a Cape Bretoner, I noticed a few things: 1- Nobody ever spelled McKinlay as McKinley. It was always McKinlay. 2- There never was an Iron Brew successor. The part about the Pepsi reboot is all fake. There was no "Cape Breton's Irn Bru". When McKinlay's shut down, Iron brew shut down with it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 156.57.18.99 (talk) 21:09, 20 July 2016 (UTC)[reply]

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New research on the history of Iron Bru[edit]

the first Iron Brew drink was launched in 1889. The drink was first sold under the name IRONBREW and described as ‘The Ideal American drink’ by New York-based manufacturers and chemicals firm Maas & Waldstein. Barr’s own IRN-BRU was on sale as early as 1898, three years earlier than the official launch date.

http://metro.co.uk/2017/06/23/sorry-to-break-it-to-you-but-irn-bru-probably-isnt-scottish-6728934/ Ochib (talk) 12:29, 23 June 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Clearly a siimilar name, possibly inspiring Irn Bru's name, but evidently a different recipe, colour and flavour. The articles talk in terms of "may" and "might". Probably worth a mention in the article in addition to the existing material but not as a replacement for the material addressing specifically this product. Mutt Lunker (talk) 14:50, 23 June 2017 (UTC)[reply]

WKD[edit]

The claim that "The alcopop WKD was launched as an alcoholic equivalent of Irn-Bru." seems dubious, so I've removed it. There's an ambiguous and unsourced line in the WKD article about being "first marketed in Scotland under the name 'Wicked'", but I can't find anything beyond that, or any clarification of whether the initial launch included the orange drink.

"There is an official Irn-Bru WKD flavour." certainly seems incorrect, though, as the WKD bottles are branded "Iron Brew" and do not feature the Barr's logo or design. --Lord Belbury (talk) 12:16, 11 May 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Flavor[edit]

Is it possible to add a brief descriptor of the flavor beyond "unique"? 178.232.45.3 (talk) 21:40, 17 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Populariity in Middle East[edit]

Possible source


https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-question-why-is-irn-bru-taking-over-the-middle-east-87w3qfkgsph (paywall) //HL (talk) 12:00, 6 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]


Competitor and generic brands[edit]

I tried to add a Wikipedia page for Rivets, the Irn Bru clone that existed in Scotland in the 90s. I was told it failed the notability criteria and the editor suggest I merge in the content into this article (see Draft:Rivets (Iron Brew)). I have done this and added one more branded competitor that existed and listed three own-brand versions sold by supermarkets (talk) 18:00, 22 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Tartan[edit]

I noted that reference 3 mentions tartan, but redirects to an article that only briefly mentions tartan. A better link to include would be the Scottish Register of Tartans' Irn-Bru entry https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanDetails?ref=1856 65.128.181.121 (talk) 23:15, 7 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Done! Barry Wom (talk) 12:04, 8 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
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