"Made in Scotland, from Girders"

You'd probably had to have traveled to Scotland or the northern reaches of England to get that reference.  It is one of the many slogans of a peculiar beverage called Iron Brew.  Or if you want to be picky, Irn Bru.  The busy bodies in some agency said they had to change the name because the stuff is not technically brewed and contains only trace amounts of iron.

But it sure looks like rusty water.  And the first time I ever drank it - also the first time I'd ever eaten Scotch Eggs - rusty water was my general impression.*  And yet, it is the most popular soft drink in Scotland.  By the way, another of their slogans is "Scotland's Other National Drink".

As this time line of cans shows, the stuff has been around for a while.  Weirdly it got started in the US in the 1880s, and did not make it to Scotland until around 1900.  Sometimes peculiar American products thrive in new environs.  See Spam for instance.

In general adverts in the UK are far wittier than what we see in the US.  And for a product aimed at Scots?  Very over the top and with that delightful accent.  Here's a highlight reel of just some of the Best of Iron Brew ads.  Uh, as with anything that spans decades there is some humor that you could not get away with today.  That does not make it any less humorous.

Enjoy.

*/When I was over last May I tried it for a second time.  And...they seem to have changed the formula.  It was bad in different ways!  Some of the ads above allude to variations on the basic "Bru".  They make a diet version.  And for a while at least, an Iron Brew based Energy Drink. I'm fairly brave trying food and drink on foreign travels, but that would be too much.