7up

The History:

7up was formulated deep in the heart of St. Louis in the mid 1920's. Very soon after launch, the United States fell into the Great Depression, though we can hardly blame 7up for that (Sprite proponents would probably like to). In fact, 7up probably did more to enhance the spirits of the country than most other sodas, since the original formula contained lithium citrate, which was a well-known mood-stabilizing drug. By having this ingredient, 7up wasn't just consumed for pleasure but was actually prescribed by many physicians of the day and often marketed as a health drink.

The forumla has been revamped many times, and after World War II the lithium citrate ingredient was removed.

Later on in the 20th century, Coca-Cola came along with their product Sprite and literally started muscling 7up out of the marketplace by closing off distribution channels. 7up fought back fiercely with litigation (which they lost) and a creative marketing campaign, "Make 7 Up Yours."

The source of the name "7up" is frought with myth and urban legend. Stories ranging from cattle-brands to pH levels to ingredients to its common use as a hangover cure. The most likely scenario is that it was named based on the seven ingredients that it originally had, or perhaps the card game of the same name.

Taste Test:

To stay on a level playing field with Sprite, our 7up taste test was done straight from a 20oz bottle obtained from a vending machine.

We love lemon-lime sodas, so Making 7 Up Ours is always a pleasure.

It's noticably sweeter than Sprite. It doesn't have quite the "bite" that sprite does. It's a bit more subdued. Very refreshing.

7up gets kudos for using "all natural ingredients." It may or may not be a deciding factor but 7up does taste "cleaner" than Sprite. Some say that Sprite can leave a "chemical-like" aftertaste.

The Flat to Fizzy scale

We rate 7up 4 out of 5 on our Flat to Fizzy scale!


Fun Stuff:

- Anybody remember Cool Spot? Cool Spot was the red dot on the 7up logo brought to life. He starred in commercials, video games, pretty much everything. Don't know what happened to him.

- 7up has had dozens of marketing slogans over the years, the most famous being "Fresh Up with 7up" (used when the drink was introducted) and "Make 7up Yours" (sported by millions of rebellious teens all over the country).

- Several variations exist, the most popular probably being Diet 7up. Fruit-flavored variations also exist, such as Cherry, Island Fruit, and Mixed Berry. Interestingly enough, the only real juice added is apple juice.

- Around Christmas time, a Pomegranate 7up is sometimes offered.

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