Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Bourbon Cocktails

7 & 7

7&7 cocktail in a highball glass with several ice cubes, set against a red brick background

 Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

In the canon of two-part drinks, few are as easy to construct (and to remember) as the 7 & 7. Yes, the Vodka Soda and Gin & Tonic also fit the criteria, but the alliterative nature of the 7 & 7 rolls off the tongue. The ingredients are right there in the name, and you only have to remember one word which, in this case, happens to be a number.

This classic highball combines Seagram’s 7 Crown whiskey with 7UP. Seagram’s 7 originally hails from Canada, but after changing hands in an acquisition it now calls the United States home. The blended whiskey has a sweet taste and creamy vanilla finish, and while it can be consumed any way you like, it is most commonly mixed into simple highballs. In the 7 & 7, it merges seamlessly with 7UP’s sweet lemon-lime effervescence.

The 7 & 7 rose to its height of popularity in the 1970s, when Seagram’s 7 sold tens of millions of cases each year and the distinctive bottle adorned every back bar and at-home bar cart. It’s not as popular today as it once was, but it’s easy to feel an affectionate sense of nostalgia for this classic drink.

Much of the appeal lies in how easy the cocktail is to make. With only two ingredients, this isn’t a complicated serve. There are no fancy garnishes, esoteric liqueurs or even the need for citrus fruit or bar tools. You pour whiskey and 7UP into a tall glass with ice, and then you drink it. That’s all there is to it.

You can also pair Seagram’s 7 with other mixers like club soda or ginger ale, of course. You can even sneak some Sprite in there, and no one save for the most discerning lemon-lime soda fans will know the difference. But you will know. Because only 7UP gives you the true 7 & 7.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces Seagram’s 7 Crown whiskey

  • 4 ounces 7UP

Steps

  1. Fill a highball glass with ice.

  2. Add the whiskey and 7UP and stir gently.