7 Up

7 Up (stylized as 7Up) or Seven Up, is an American brand of lime-lemon non-caffeinated soft drink released in 1928. The brand and formula are owned by Keurig Dr Pepper in the US, and PepsiCo in international regions. Although also distributed by PepsiCo in most regions, the beverage is distributed in the UK by Britvic, PepsiCo's designated UK distributor. The brand competed primarily with The Coca-Cola Company's Sprite and PepsiCo's Starry.

History

7 Up was created by Charles Leiper Grigg, who launched his St. Louis–based company The Howdy Corporation in 1920. Grigg came up with the formula for a lemon-lime soft drink in 1928, and the product was launched a year before the Wall Street crash of 1929. The trademark "SEVEN-UP" was granted in 1928, and a 1929 taste test advertisement featured a flying "7up" logo. The name became "7up Lithiated Lemon Soda" in 1930–1931, as indicated by the use of a logo with tilted "up" and historical paper labels.

An oft-repeated story is that the drink was originally called "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda," but investigative reports find little or no evidence that a drink with this name ever existed. In fact, "Bib-Label" is not part of the name of the soda, but refers to the practice of hanging a piece of paper around the neck of a soda bottle like a bib.

The drink did, initially, claim to contain lithium citrate, a mood-stabilizing drug. It was one of a number of patent medicine products popular in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. In 1936 the federal government forced the manufacturer to remove a number of health claims, and because "lithium was not an actual ingredient", the name was changed to just "7 Up" in 1937. Chapter 1 Chapter 2

The origin of the name 7 Up is unclear. Britvic claims that the name comes from the seven main ingredients in the drink,britvic.co.uk . Accessed January 16, 2014 while others have claimed that the number was a reference to the lithium contained in the original recipe, which has an atomic mass of approximately 7. Britvic also claims that the name alluded to 7 Up being packaged in seven-ounce bottles when Coca-Cola and most other soft drinks were bottled in six-ounce bottles.

The 7 Up company was privately owned by its founding families until it was sold in 1978 to Philip Morris, which sold it in 1986 in two parts: the international division to PepsiCo and the US business to a group led by the investment firm Hicks & Haas. In the US, 7 Up merged with Dr Pepper in 1988 to form Dr Pepper/Seven Up; Cadbury Schweppes bought the combined company in 1995. In 2008 the Dr Pepper Snapple Group was spun off from Cadbury Schweppes. In 2018, The Dr Pepper Snapple Group was acquired by Keurig Green Mountain, forming Keurig Dr Pepper; in 2026, this merger will effectively be undone following KDP's 2025 acquisition of JDE Peet's and the subsequent separation of its coffee business and beverage business.

Formula 7 Up has been reformulated several times since its launch in 1928. In 2006, the version of the product sold in the U.S. was reformulated so it could be marketed as being "100% natural". This was achieved by eliminating the chelating agent calcium disodium EDTA, and replacing sodium citrate with potassium citrate to reduce the beverage's sodium content. This reformulation contains no fruit juice and, in the U.S., is sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). The manufacturing process used in the production of HFCS has led some public health and advocacy groups to challenge the ad campaign's "natural" claims.

In 2007, after the Center for Science in the Public Interest threatened to sue 7 Up, it was announced that 7 Up would stop being marketed as "100% natural". Instead, it is now promoted as having "100% Natural Flavors". The controversy does not extend to other countries, such as the United Kingdom, where HFCS is not generally used in foods, including 7 Up. In 2011, 7 Up began test marketing a formula, called 7 Up Retro, using sugar rather than HFCS. Container labels state "Made With Real Sugar".

Variants

United States Regular Name Yearlaunched Notes 7 Up 1928 A Lemon-Lime flavored soda and the original variety. Cherry 7 Up 1987 A variant with added Cherry flavor and a pink color.

It was renamed and reformulated as Cherry 7 Up Antioxidant in January 2009; however, the soda's antioxidant line was pulled from shelves in 2012 amid a controversy about the rumored detrimental health effects of consuming antioxidant drinks, and the original formula returned. 7 Up Gold1988 A spice-flavored beverage, similar to Vernor's Ginger Ale. Though 7 Up's marketing slogan at that time was "Never Had It, Never Will" (referring to caffeine), 7 Up Gold included caffeine as an ingredient. It was introduced by 7 Up in the hopes of capturing 1% of the cola market, which at the time was $26.6 billion. However, it only captured 0.1% of the market because people were confused by 7 Up marketing a dark-colored soft drink with caffeine, and the drink was discontinued the following year. The 7 Up Gold recipe was actually an unused Dr Pepper invention. It was discontinued in 1989. Citrus 7 1980s A fruity soda with real juices. Sold for a short time in the United States. dnL(7 Up turned upside down) 2002 An alternate take on 7 Up released in the United States containing an added citrus kick, green color and caffeine, made to rival Mountain Dew in the market. It was released during a time when other attempts to extend soft drink brand names were done with new variations, including Pepsi Blue, Dr Pepper Red Fusion, and Vanilla Coke. The drink was discontinued in 2006 in favor of the "7 Up Plus" brand. Pomegranate 7 Up 2007 A pomegranate flavoured variety that was sold for the holiday season in the United States from 2007 until 2010, and saw returns in 2016, 2021 and 2022. The 2009 and 2010 formulas were named Pomegranate 7 Up Antioxidant.7 Up Retro2011 A variety sold in the United States that uses cane sugar instead of corn syrup. It was Introduced on the 2011 season finale of The Apprentice, packaging in 12-oz. cans features either the 1970s disco mirrorball-themed logo or the 1980s logo. It is also available in 12-oz. glass bottles with a label inspired by 7 Up's original logo. Mixed Berry 7 Up Antioxidant2011 A mixed berry variety that was sold for a limited time in 2011. It used the "Antioxidant" formula. Tropical 7 Up2014 A pineapple and mango flavored variety. It was sold in the United States in 2014 for a limited time, as well as a return in 2015 with newer branding. It was re-released in 2023 and sold exclusively at Kroger-owned stores. In early 2025, it became a nationwide flavor. Simple 7 Up 2022 A natural variant made using filtered water, cane sugar, and stevia leaf extract. Shirley Temple 7 Up2024 A cherry and pomegranate flavored variant based on the lemon-lime soda and grenadine combination featured in the Shirley Temple non-alcoholic mixed drink. 7-Up Watermelon & Strawberry2025 A Watermelon and strawberry-flavored variant. It was released for the 2025 summer season exclusively in Kroger stores. It is the first installment in the "7-Up Endless Summer" series. 7-Up Mandarin Orange2026 A Mandarin Orange flavored variety, similar to the Orange 7-Up flavor sold overseas. It is the second installment in the "7-Up Endless Summer" series and is once again a Kroger exclusive.7 Up Hecho en MexicoA variant of regular 7 UP sold in the United States produced and imported from Mexico using real cane sugar and packaged in 12-ounce glass bottles.

Low Calorie Name Yearlaunched Notes 7 Up Zero Sugar 1963 No calorie variant of 7 Up. It was originally introduced in 1963 under the name of Like (not to be confused with 7 Up's Like Cola from the 1980s), using cyclamate as sweetener. After the U.S. government ban of the sweetener the drink was discontinued in 1969, and relaunched as Diet 7 Up in 1970. The drink had a brief period of using the name Sugar Free 7 Up between 1973 and 1979 before reverting to its former name.

Diet 7 Up was later reformulated and advertised as being sweetened with sucralose and acesulfame potassium replacing aspartame. The recipe later reverted to using aspartame. The beverage was rebranded as 7 Up Zero Sugar in late 2020. Cherry 7 Up Zero Sugar 1980s Low-calorie version of Cherry 7 Up. It was pulled from shelves around the time 7 Up Plus Cherry was introduced but was reintroduced in 2006 due to popular demand.

As with the regular variety, it was reformulated as Diet Cherry 7 Up Antioxidant in 2009 before reverting to the original formula in 2013. It was rebranded as Cherry 7 Up Zero Sugar in late 2020. "Diet Cherry 7 Up Nutritional Facts ". 7up.com. Diet 7 Up Gold1988 Low-calorie variant of 7 Up Gold, released and discontinued at the same time as the standard variety. 7 Up Plus2004 A range of healthy low-calorie alternative drinks, containing no caffeine and has 2 grams of carbohydrates per serving, as well as 5% apple juice, which is uncommon among American market carbonated beverages. It was available in three varieties - Mixed Berry, Cherry and Island Fruit. Diet Pomegranate 7 Up 2007 A low calorie pomegranate flavoured variety that was sold for the holiday season in the United States from 2007 until 2010. The 2009 and 2010 formulas were named Diet Pomegranate 7 Up Antioxidant. Diet Mixed Berry 7 Up Antioxidant2011 A mixed berry variety that was sold for a limited time in 2011. It used the "Antioxidant" formula.7 Up Ten2013A low-calorie variant with only ten calories per serving, sold as part of Dr. Pepper Snapple Group's "Ten" lineup in the United States. It uses a blend using high fructose corn syrup along with aspartame and acesulfame potassium to sweeten it. Tropical 7 Up Zero Sugar2023 Low calorie Mango and Pineapple flavored variety, originally sold exclusively at Kroger-owned stores, later becoming a nationwide flavor in early 2025. 7-Up Zero Sugar Watermelon & Strawberry2025 A Watermelon and strawberry-flavored variant. It was released for the 2025 summer season exclusively in Kroger stores. It is the first installment in the "7-Up Endless Summer" series. 7-Up Zero Sugar Mandarin Orange2026 A Mandarin Orange flavored variety, similar to the Orange 7-Up flavor sold overseas. It is the second installment in the "7-Up Endless Summer" series and is once again a Kroger exclusive.

International