Scottish products like whisky and haggis are not the only ones that have risen to fame across the globe, Scotland’s ‘other national drink’ Irn Bru has also taken centre stage.
Revered as an iconic Scottish beverage, most Scots claim they couldn’t live without the orange carbonated drink with some stating that it’s the number one hangover cure.
In fact, the fizzy drink is so popular here that when a recipe change was announced in 2018 Scottish stores witnessed a frenzy of panic buying to purchase the original recipe before it was modified.
In celebration of Irn-Bru’s legacy and it becoming such a massively popular choice of drink, here are 16 facts you (probably) didn’t know about it.
13. The "world's largest Horse" worked for Irn Bru
Reported to weigh a ton and be the largest working horse in the world at that time, Robert Barr bought the Clydesdale Carnera (named after the boxing champion Primo Carnera) from a Perth farmer in 1930. This horse was able to carry roughly 60-70 dozen bottles that weighed around three tons. Photo: Picture: Barr's
14. Irn Bru is also made in Russia and exported to countries worldwide
Irn Bru is manufactured under licence in multiple Russian factories by Moscow Brewing Company, a partner of Barr's. Other countries the drink is exported to include the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Malta, parts of Africa, the Middle East, and North America, to name a few. Photo: Picture: Irn-Bru
15. Irn Bru outsells Coca Cola in Scotland
Irn Bru has out-performed Coca Cola in the Scottish market for over a century, with Coca Cola almost always remaining a close second behind the Scottish national drink. Photo: ShotByScott via Canva Pro
16. Irn Bru adverts have a legacy of crass humour
The brand is known for its hilarious yet controversial adverts that have pushed the boundaries of what's acceptable in marketing. One such poster featured a cow with the slogan "When I'm a burger I want to be washed down with Irn Bru" and this attracted hundreds of complaints. Another advert, which featured a young woman in a bikini holding an Irn Bru can, said: "I never knew four-and-a-half-inches could give so much pleasure." This was also met with significant controversy. Photo: Drbouz via Canva Pro / Picture: AP