Originally marketed as a patent medicine for hangovers and mood stabilisation, the lemonade drink – created by Charles Leiper Grigg in 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri – is famous for its original inclusion of lithium citrate, a mood-altering drug.
Lithium was removed from the recipe in 1948 after the US government banned its use in soft drinks due to health concerns.
The exact meaning of the name remains a mystery, as Grigg died without ever explicitly explaining it.
To compete with the dominance of colas, 7-Up launched the iconic “Uncola” campaign in 1967, positioning itself as the refreshing alternative to Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
In 1978, the Seven-Up Company was sold to Philip Morris, which split the company in 1986, selling the international rights to PepsiCo and the US business to an investment group.
In 2006, the American version was reformulated to be marketed as having “100% Natural Flavours,” removing certain preservatives and switching to potassium citrate. In 2011, the brand briefly introduced a “Retro” version made with real sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup.
It has been widely claimed in recent years that the beverage’s original name was ‘Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda’, but there is no evidence to confirm this.
In fact, the original patent filed by Charles Grigg in October 1928 was for a “carbonated, nonalcoholic soft drink” named “Seven Up”.
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The exact meaning of the name remains a mystery, as Grigg died without ever explicitly explaining it.
