It’s our other national drink Irn-Bru and it’s been made in Scotland from girders for 125 years.
The bronze-coloured soft drink is so much part of Scots’ blood that brewers Barr have come up with a novel idea.
With a drop-inn parlour where you can have your love of ‘ra Bru‘ inked into your arm or wherever you want to mark it.
The story goes that Barr, then a makers of corks, tinkered with the idea of a tincture.
After seeing Irish immigrant steel workers sweating it out and refuelling with beer.
On the rebuilding of Glasgow’s Central Station.
Which, of course, is the focus of more refurbishment after the destruction of Union Corner by a fire this month.
The Irn Age
Glaswegians of a certain age will, of course, recall that the Victorian B-listed building opposite the train station was adorned for years.
With signage of an Indian boy in a turban advertising Irn-Bru.
The Bru has prided itself on its promotions over these 125, second only to Coca-Cola, but first and ahead of them in sales in Scotland.
Traditionalists will fondly remember, for instance, the athlete on the bottles and then cans.
That being 19th-century Highland Games athlete of note Adam Brown.
But the Bru has moved with the times and we’ve travelled with them.
And it is barely remembered now that the strange misspelling has only been around since after the Second World War.
Prior to which it was Iron.
Barr had become worried over changing food labelling regulations after the war.
With the mysterious orange elixir containing only the minutest traces of iron and not being brewed.
Raising the Barr
For all of us who jealously protect our favourite brands (think Tayto in Ireland) we have our own in jokes which we can share.
Anywhere we meet fellow Scots and flush out the authentic ones.
By asking the likes of ‘I’m Thirsty, I’m very thirsty too… so here’s a drink that’s made for you, Barr’s Irn-Bru.
Of course, each generation has its own favourite ad, the young boy who lifts a girder after drinking the Bru.
A skit on The Snowman movie and the recent Fanny gag.
And it works too in American English as well as Scots English.
By gum
Now where once you would struggle to get the Bru beyond the northern bit of this British island it is widely available now.
With our other national drink even sponsoring that most northern English of sports rugby league… and you’re welcome.
Whether though, you’re prepared to mark yourself with an Irn-Bru tattoo really depends on how much it’s in your blood.
And pretty much every Scot does have it in under their skin.
But it is worth a try although maybe not say it tastes like bubblegum.
Unless you want to invite some kind of unpronouncable slur spat back at you.
