Barry Switzer

The Barry Switzer is a mixed drink known for its widespread popularity in the "heartland" of America during the 1970s and 1980s. Its appeal faded in the late 1980s when it was connected to a series of incidents including murder, gang-rape, coke dealing, and poor academic performance. The Barry Switzer enjoyed a brief revival in the mid 1990s, when noteworthy Texas resident Michael Irvin was arrested for cocaine posession while "all switzered up." While largely unheard of today, the Barry Switzer is occasionally referred to on the FOX network.

An Oklahoma man reacts after consuming a Barry Switzer

History

The Barry Switzer has its origins among the hill-folk of Arkansas. Legend has it that the Switzer was first concocted during the great depression era by an ex-convict bootlegger and his lover, probably in an above-ground swimming pool. For decades the Barry Switzer remained a local Arkansas mainstay, appearing in seedy bars around Fayetteville until it spread to Oklahoma in the 1960s.

The Barry Switzer achieved its greatest noteriety in Norman, Oklahoma starting in the 1970s. During the disco years it was popularized nationwide by Billy Sims and the Wishbone. The drink was embroiled in controversy when an angry Texas man named Darrel Royal accused the Barry Switzer of spying on him, unhealthily appealing to high school youth, giving his wife venereal disease, and hiding all of his left shoes, among other allegations. Needless to say, it was revealed that Royal had been getting hammered on Barry Switzers for years, leading to his decline and eventual loss of job.

Decline in Popularity

Another long night of Barry Switzers and cocaine comes to an end.

The Switzer remained popular through much of the 1980s despite its unsavory flavor and slightly nauseating aroma. However, in 1989 a prominant industry publication finally ran a cover story blasting the mixed drink, calling the Barry Switzer's popularity "a sordid story," and leveling jargon-laden criticisms such as "no character to speak of," "lack of institutional control," and "tastes kind of like tobacco juice." A well publicized series of criminal incidents that were linked with Barry Switzer abuse lead to national condemnation, probation, and the sudden decline of the Barry Switzer's popularity.

In 1994 a Texas billionaire named Jerry Jones tried to revive the Barry Switzer with some success. However by the late 1990s Jones had abandoned the Switzer in favor of tastier, less potent drinks.