From the NYT: Irn Bru, a Scottish Favorite, Loses Some Sugar
Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:09 pm
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/05/worl ... icle-click
So now we know the reference, but why did a Fan From Annapolis go Scottish???Irn Bru, a Scottish Favorite, Loses Some Sugar
By PALKO KARASZJAN. 5, 2018
LONDON — It’s orange, fizzy and tastes like liquid bubble gum.
And while whisky is Scotland’s national drink to the world, to many locals, Irn Bru is a close second.
The company that makes Irn Bru says it will reduce the amount of sugar in its iconic drink this month, a change that has caused an uproar among its large fan base. The change in recipe, widely attributed to a new soda tax that comes into force in Britain this year, has also led to reports of panic buying in Scottish supermarkets.
“It’s one of our symbols of being unique and different in the way we feel about ourselves,” said Stephen M. Blythe, a technology lawyer in Glasgow.
After he saw an announcement on the company’s website about the change in his favorite drink, he set up a Facebook page to try to stop the recipe alteration. He has since joined forces with another man who began a Change.org petition for the cause.
Some have compared the recipe change to the “new Coke” blunder of 1985. At the time, Coca-Cola replaced its century-old formula with a sweeter drink, only to put “Classic Coke” back on the shelves less than three months later, after facing angry customer complaints.
The makers of Irn Bru, in a series of candid communications with consumers on social media, responded promptly to the growing concerns.
“We’ve done a shed-load of tests on this,” read one message from Irn Bru’s official Twitter account. “We hope you’ll agree it still tastes amazing.”