A.G.Barr ltd. is a Glasgow, Scotland based manufacturer of a wide variety of soft drinks, including the legendary Irn Bru. The company has an interesting history, which, because of the fame of the bru, is inseparable from the drink's story.
In 1880, Robert Barr snr, a cork cutter from Falkirk, turned to making aerated water, having been hit by the drop in demand for corks caused by new metal lid technology. The business was successful, and he soon diversified into other soft drinks. in 1887 Robert Jnr. was sent to Glasgow to start a new branch, while his younger brothers Andrew Greig Barr and William Barr started working with their father in the original Falkirk factory.
The Glasgow branch quickly grew, and in 1892 Andrew took control from his older brother. The Glasgow factory quickly became an entirely separate business under the name of A.G.Barr, the name used today. In 1901, a new and unique soft drink was introduced that would ensure the Barr name would live forever in the annals of Scottish history.
Iron Brew. Yes, that's right. It was originally spelt Iron Brew. In 1946, however, a change in laws meant that the word "brew" could no longer be used, as the drink is not technically brewed. The bright idea of using the phonetic spelling - or something close to it - gives us the bizarre spelling of Irn Bru. The drink was a massive success, and is now recognised as Scotland?s other national drink. The secret formula for the syrup is a closely guarded secret, and is said to only be known to two members of the Barr family. There is also a copy in a safe somewhere, just in case the unthinkable should happen.
In 1959, the two separate Barr businesses were brought together under the name of A.G.Barr, and were run by Robert Barr jnr, Andrew Barr having sadly died over 50 years earlier of pneumonia. In 1978, the business was handed over to Robert's son Robin, who is the executive chairman of the company to this day.
A.G.Barr have a huge range of products, and are famous for the glass bottles which form part of their range. These 750ml bottles are cheap - around 70p, about the same price as a 500ml bottle of coke - and have the added advantage of offering a 20p refund if you return the empty bottle unharmed. This is a partial listing of the drinks available, many of which are merely Barr's own version of generic soft drinks.
These drinks are not available in the famous glass bottles as far as I know;
And, finally, the company website is http://www.agbarr.co.uk