Copyright dailyrecord
Cards on the table; I'm a sucker for a seasonal drink . When it hits autumn and my wife suggests heading out for a pumpkin spiced latte (other drinks are available), I have to pretend I've not been thinking about it for days myself. Although I think the Christmas offerings are appearing in shops far too early these days (before Halloween , really?!), I will admit I've already tried three different festive meal deal sandwiches for my lunch. And as the year wears on, I'll be having my fair share of Greggs' festive bakes as well as sampling various mulled wines and ciders and, hopefully, as many different Baileys flavours as I can. I'm also a lifelong fan of Irn-Bru , so when I was in my local supermarket and spotted the logo on a crate that wasn't adorned in the brand's iconic orange and blue, I had to investigate. That's when I stumbled upon Winter Bru, the seasonal offering from Scotland's other national drink. And while Irn-Bru is known as ginger throughout the country due to its colour, this limited-edition flavour actually is ginger. Spiced ginger, to be exact, and cinnamon. It's not only the flavour that's very on point for the season, the deep red branding (complete with a silver snowflake) matches this year's autumn-winter fashion trend. Irn-Bru says its new flavour, which is only available as individual cans or eight-packs for the next eight weeks, blends the classic flavour of its much-loved drink with the tingling winter spices for a "kick in every sip". Having got my cans home quickly and into the fridge to cool, I have to say I agree. My first thoughts on trying Winter Bru were that it seemed like a crossover between Irn-Bru and ginger beer. There's nothing quite like the first sip of a can of Irn-Bru, where the fizz goes all the way up your nose. And although each drop of Winter Bru didn't quite manage to go all the way up, it did pack a brilliant punch. The new flavour crackled away nicely on my tongue each time I took a swig. Having taken a few more big sips, the spices put me in mind of a mulled cider. Obviously, I was having it chilled rather than hot like a a Christmas market classic, but the tangy flavour was definitely warming - which seems exactly what Irn-Bru was going for. It bears a striking similarity to Fiery Irn-Bru, the now-discontinued flavour that was launched back in 2011. That also saw ginger added to the classic recipe and even though it's been over a decade since I tried Fiery (I can't believe it was that long ago), the latest seasonal offering isn't quite as aggressive with its kick. I can absolutely understand that Winter Bru won't be to everyone's taste. The fizzy kick may be a bit too much for some, while others might not appreciate the spices on offer. But for me, it really hits the spot. It ticks a lot of boxes by maintaining an Irn-Bru taste, while also adding seasonal spices and delivering a fizzy oomph with each sip. In my younger days, I used to go through Irn-Bru and other fizzy drinks like nobody's business. Now, I try and limit myself to a treat on a Friday or over the weekend. But my eight-pack only lasted a few days as I kept going back to the fridge for more. My biggest gripe is that the tasty new offering is only on a limited run and won't be available in shops by the time we reach Christmas. I would love to add it to the festive treats I enjoy every year as we approach December, so I'm really going to need Irn-Bru to make this an annual offering. Either that or I'll just need to stock up majorly over the next few weeks!
