AN IRISH company is promising Irn Bru fans its own full-sugar version of the much-missed drink.
The maker of Irn Bru sparked outrage this year when they cut the amount of sugar in the drink to avoid a tax hike.
But Belfast-based Enerzaid is working on its own fizzy, orange and sugar-packed beverage – dubbed “Tru-Bru”.
The firm is raising money for the project through Kickstarter and hopes to get the drink on the market by the end of the year.
After the introduction of the sugar tax in April this year, AG Barr, the makers of Irn Bru were among those to lowered their sugar content and replace it with artificial sweeteners.
But many diehard fans of Irn Bru disliked the new taste, creating demand for ever-dwindling stocks of the original recipe.
In a bid to tap into a budding customer base of those unhappy with the changes made after the levy was introduced, Enerzaid are aiming to launch three flavours – original, orange and Tru-Bru.
Founder Scott Todd explained the whole idea behind the company in a short video on the Enerzaid Kickstarter page.
Sitting in a desk chair in front of various bottles filled with colourful liquid, he tells potential investors: “You should keep watching this video if you are one of the thousands of people who are upset that your favourite drink has recently changed its recipe.
“Replacing its sugar content with artificial sweeteners like Aspartame, Acesulfame K or Sucralose.
“If you’re like me you’ve been left disappointed by brands like Lucozade and Irn Bru, to name a few, that have ignored the negative feedback from their loyal customers about changes to recipes that have prioritised profit over people.”
He adds: “The goal of Enerzaid is to provide sparkling glucose drinks that recapture some of these classic tastes that the public have recently lost.
“We’re creating our own versions of these incredible flavours the way they were always intended to be. We’re bringing you the full sugar, and the full taste.”
Original and orange flavours will be available by December 2018, with backers pledging £10 or more getting six bottles delivered to their door.
For £25 backers can pre-buy three six packs, and for £100 gain access to the “tasting team”, five six packs and a limited edition print.
And, for £500 backers will get their name printed on the bottle, become part of the sampler crew and get a full years subscription to Enerzaid with three six packs being delivered to your door every month.
On social media, Mj Mi (corr) said: “Lucozade replacement is going to be good but a full sugar Irn Bru even better.”
A spokesman for AG Barr, based in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, said: “There have been lots of attempts to copy the top-secret IRN-BRU essence but they’ll never guess how many girders go into each bottle.”
Last week, a massive stash of the “original recipe” Irn Bru was found at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow.
Staff returned to the venue after a devastating fire in March which started in the Victoria’s nightclub around the corner.
