Category: beveragePrice: 88p for 1 litre Ingredients: carbonated water, sugar, citric acid, flavorings (including caffeine and quinine), preservatives, colours, ammonium ferric citrate Irn Bru is the national beverage of Scotland. Here, it is more popular than Coke, and is regarded as the best cure for a hangover (I wouldn't know, since I don't drink), due to its high caffeine content. It was invented in 1901 by Robert Barr's soft drink company in Falkirk. It was originally spelled "Iron Brew", but strict labeling laws in the 1940's forced them to change the spelling to "Irn Bru" because it was not made of iron and was not brewed. (All that stuff is taken from the Official Irn Bru web site.) Apparently labelling laws have loosened again in the UK because there are now countless generic Irn Bru knock-offs, most of which are called "Iron Brew". 
I usually drink the generic store brand "Iron Brew" because it is cheaper than Irn Bru, and tastes about the same. But for the purposes of this review I bought a bottle of actual Barr's Irn Bru. I'm really thirsty right now, so I'm struggling not to guzzle. It smells lightly fruity and it is carbonated perfectly. Not over-fizzy, and not flat. It is a bright unnatural orange color, that reminds me of some kind of industrial grease. Now, for the drinking.It is sweet and lightly flavored. The flavor reminds me of bubble gum and oranges. It isn't sticky sweet, and has no aftertaste. (The generic brands are sweeter and taste more strongly of bubble gum.) Overall, it is an excellent thirst quencher and would pair nicely with sloppy joes or a pizza. I would strongly recommend that anyone who visits Scotland buy a bottle or two of Irn Bru.
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Alana Muir © 2006