His father, Robert Barr, expanded his cork-cutting business in 1875 to include a sideline in aerated water, which swiftly became the company's main source of income. The drink's secret recipe, a blend of 32 syrups and other flavours, remains a closely guarded secret, known only to two members of the board of the company. Until World War II it was one of several drinks going under the name Iron Brew, but the threat of tighter government controls on the accuracy of brand names prompted the company to register the name Irn-Bru in 1946. In 1999, Irn Bru was included in the prestigious 900-page Oxford Companion to Food. It was ranked alongside caviar, quail and smoked salmon as one of world's great foodstuffs.
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