Over the years there have been some very strange drink concoctions available in bars and clubs around the world. Manchester University in England famously invented the Green Monster, an ominously coloured bright green drink which is served in a pint glass and contains an array of intoxicating liquids. The drink has become one of the main attractions for visitors to the university and is hugely popular with students looking to get as drunk as possible on very little money. But no drink has possibly ever sounded stranger to us than the one that Justin Bieber was rumoured to have been drinking as he entered a club on Monday night to celebrate his 20th birthday.

justin bieber sizzurpBieber has become a regular on the party scene

As Bieber (no doubt) swaggered in to the nightclub in Atlanta (along with his homeboys, yo, wuddup) he was seen to be drinking from a styrofoam cup, which is associated with a type of drink called ‘sizzurp’ or ‘purple drank’. Of course the contents is pure speculation, though TMZ and others have pointed towards the possibility of Sizzurp. The drink includes a shot of prescription strength cough syrup mixed with either Sprite or Mountain Dew along with Jolly Rancher hard fruit candy thrown in to sweeten the bizarre cocktail. The cough syrup used as one of the ingredients typically contains codeine and promethazine and triggers mild euphoria as well as general motor-skill impairment along with drowsiness and lethargy. Sounds like a drink to really get the party started (NAAAT).

The drink supposedly originated back on the jazz scene in the 1960’s, although we have a sneaky suspicion that the term ‘sizzurp’ was coined a little later on. Purple drank is supposedly most often used in combination with a mixture of other drugs and alcohol. This sounds sensible, because downing medical strength cough syrup didn’t sound dangerous enough without adding a few illegal drugs into the mix.

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The drink has been associated with various notable deaths, including Pimp C who was found dead at the Mondrian Hotel in Hollywood, cause of death “due to promeathazine/codeine effects and other unestablished factors”. The drink has also been the subject of various hip hop tunes, most famously DJ Screw feat. Big Moe Sippin’ Codeine (incidentally Big Moe was found dead with speculation that his heavy use of the drink was a contributing factor), Jay-Z’s Big Pimpin’ and Beanie Sigel feat. Bun B. Purple Rain. Lil’ Wayne has publicly admitted that he drinks purple drank (we can’t help but feel exceptionally uncool each time we mention the word ‘sizzurp’) while it has come under heavy criticism as a potential gateway drug.

Justin has been partying hard lately, how would you feel if it turns out that Justin was drinking the unusual cough syrup concoction on his 20th birthday night out?  Surely he can afford some champagne instead, it's much more celebratory.