The ginger drinkers who clamoured for the return of the full sugar hit delivered by old recipe Irn-Bru Original have had their prayers answered. Sort of.
Barr Soft Drinks has unveiled limited edition ‘Irn-Bru 1901’, a new tipple made from an ‘old and unimproved’ Irn-Bru recipe pulled from a handwritten book that has been gathering dust in the company’s archives for over 100 years.
While Irn-Bru’s secret flavour essence remains unchanged, the 1901 recipe doesn’t have any caffeine, but it does have a frothy head on its gingery fizz and is sweetened with sugar.
SLR was given a sample bottle and the verdict was positive; 1901 is noticeably smoother than any of Bru’s current variants and the more discerning palates in the office welcomed the absence of artificial sweeteners.
Robin Barr, who unearthed the recipe, said: “The 1901 recipe has aged beautifully over the last 118 years. For a limited time, we’ll be producing a premium ‘old and unimproved’ Irn-Bru 1901 just as it was enjoyed by our first fans.
“This is Irn-Bru as you’ve never tasted it. It’s a chance to enjoy a unique and authentic piece of Scottish history – but don’t hang about, we don’t think it will be around for long.”
Taking cues directly from the 1901 bottle, the new packaging features the Irn-Bru strongman and authentication from inventor Andrew Greig Barr in homage to its Victorian-era advertising.
Irn-Bru 1901 will be on shelves across Scotland in 75cl glass bottles from 2 December 2019 and is expected to retail at around £2 per bottle.
For more information, visit irn-bru.co.uk or check out @irnbru on social media.
