Irn-Bru has spent decades as one of Scotland's best-known soft drinks. What's less widely known is how far the brand has spread into the sweet aisle.
A drink brand that became a sweet aisle regular
Irn-Bru is made by A.G. Barr, a soft drinks company founded in 1875 and based in Falkirk. The drink itself has a long history under different names, but Barr has spent the last few decades licensing the Irn-Bru name and its distinctive orange colouring and citrus flavour to confectionery manufacturers, turning a drinks brand into a sweet one as well.
What's actually in the range
The Irn-Bru sweets you'll find on shelves typically include bon-bons, chewy sweets, millions, and fizzy bottle-shaped sweets modelled on the drink's own bottle, all carrying the same bright orange colouring and a flavour designed to be instantly recognisable to anyone who's had the drink. Seaside rock in Irn-Bru flavouring is also a fixture of Scottish gift shops.
Why drinks brands license their flavour to sweets
Turning a drink into a sweet is a well-worn piece of brand extension: it puts a familiar name in front of shoppers in a completely different aisle, and it lets fans of the drink buy into the brand in a format they might not otherwise reach for. For a flavour as distinctive and divisive as Irn-Bru's, it's also a low-risk way to test new formats, since the flavour recognition already exists.
Where to find them
Irn-Bru sweets tend to turn up in pick and mix selections and Scottish-themed sweet ranges. Our pick and mix collection is worth a browse if you want to try them alongside other regional favourites.
Frequently asked questions
Who makes Irn-Bru sweets?
Confectionery manufacturers, under licence from A.G. Barr, the company behind the Irn-Bru drink.
Do they taste like the drink?
They're formulated to capture the same flavour profile, though the format naturally changes the experience.
Is the range new?
No - Barr has licensed the Irn-Bru name to confectionery for years, well beyond the drink itself.