Although it isn’t nearly as popular now as it was 30 or 40 years ago, 7-Up still has its fans.
And perhaps one of the most extensive uses for the lemon-lime soft drink is in 7-Up cocktails.
People like these cocktails because they’re zesty, citrusy, festive, and fun.
Furthermore, because 7-Up is a light-colored soda, as opposed to darker ones like Coke and Pepsi, you can also make 7-Up cocktails into practically any color you like.
So if you’re looking for a fruity, bubbly cocktail with lots of flavor that’s suitable for practically any occasion, check out this list. You won’t be disappointed.
1. Jingle Juice Holiday Punch
Whether Christmas is right around the corner or still half a year away, there’s never a bad time to start planning for your holiday festivities.
After all, it’s a pretty big deal!
Whenever Christmas rolls around again, consider adding jingle juice holiday punch to the menu.
Its light pink color and dark red cranberry garnishes are incredibly festive, and you can easily whip up an entire pitcher in just 5 minutes with only four ingredients.
Plus, you’ll make it with both whipped vodka and an entire bottle of pink champagne, so it’s sweet and flavorful.
It has just the right amount of alcohol to have everyone feeling great but not too drunk.
2. Lucky 7
If you prefer cocktails with a more robust alcohol flavor, then you’ll really like the lucky 7.
It’s basically like drinking a cold glass of vodka decorated with slightly zesty lemon-lime bubbles.
If you prefer a bit more fruitiness and a little less vodka flavor, try using a flavored vodka, such as Smirnoff green apple or blueberry, instead of regular vodka.
It won’t change the potency of the drink, but it will give you a nice boost of flavor that should at least somewhat mask the sharp, bitter vodka taste.
3. Pink Lemonade Vodka Punch
Before running across this recipe, I never even considered making pink lemonade punch with 7-Up (or any other lemon-lime soda, for that matter).
However, once I tried it, I loved it, and I think you will, too.
You’ll still use pink lemonade concentrate and vodka, as always, and you can also pile in your raspberries and lemon slices.
Additionally, though, you’ll want to mix two liters of 7-Up with it.
It amplifies the tartness and the citrus flavors of the drink, making them almost enough to tickle your tongue.
And, of course, the carbonation from the soda makes the lemonade sparkly and fun.
4. 7 and 7
If you like whiskey but need something to help blunt its edges, try this two-ingredient recipe for the 7 and 7.
It’s like Crown and Coke, but you’ll use 7-Up and whatever whiskey you like best.
(Seagram’s 7 is traditional; hence, the 7 and 7 name.)
It still gives the whiskey a sweeter, lighter flavor, just like Coca-Cola would, but you’ll also get occasional hints of lemon and lime, and they’re really what make the drink spectacular.
5. Cherry 7 and 7
If the 7 and 7 is simply 7-Up and whiskey, then you’d think the Cherry 7 and 7 would merely be whiskey and Cherry 7-Up.
While you can make the drink just as quickly, there are a few more ingredients to it than just those.
You’ll also need crushed ice, cherry liqueur, maraschino cherries, and lime and mint for the garnishes.
It’s a sweeter and more cherry-flavored version of the original.
But don’t worry; if you enjoy tasting the whiskey in your cocktails, you’ll still get a bit of that, as well.
6. Tinto de Verano
The tinto de verano is a chilled, refreshing drink that’s ideal for those long summer days when you want something sweet and boozy, but you don’t want to get drunk.
Simply take your favorite bottle of red wine, and mix half a cup of it with half a cup of 7-Up.
Put it on ice, add a little dash of lemon juice, and sit back and enjoy your day.
7. Dirty Shirley
The Dirty Shirley is a Shirley Temple with a vodka kick.
It tastes just as sweet, light, and refreshing as you remember it from your childhood, but it’ll have you feeling a little floaty after a glass or two.
Be sure to remember that this isn’t the innocent drink you enjoyed as a kid, and don’t overdo it!
8. Traditional British Shandy
If you aren’t in the mood for hard liquor and are searching for a 7-Up cocktail that’s a bit lighter in every sense of the word, you’re in luck.
The traditional British shandy is perfect for fulfilling that wish.
Instead of liquor, you’ll make it with your favorite beer (or light beer) and a can of 7-Up. If you’ve had a shandy before and got it with lemonade, you’re not alone.
That’s a pretty standard recipe here in the U.S., but I’m 100% serious when I tell you the traditional British way – with lemon-lime soda – is the only way to go with this drink.
It gives it a fresher, crisper taste and a sparklier appearance, and it isn’t as overly sugary sweet as one made with lemonade.
9. Rum Relaxer
The pineapple juice and light rum in this drink give it a distinctly tropical flavor that’ll make you wish you were sitting beachside or at least by a pool.
The grenadine gives it its lovely reddish-orange color, and once you top it off with 7-Up, it’ll be bubbly, light, citrusy, and just about perfect.
Plus, you can whip it up in just 5 minutes.
10. Toilet Water Walking Dead Drink
I religiously followed The Walking Dead up until about season eight, when I started falling behind for some reason.
Even so, after watching eight solid seasons of zombies, murder, and mayhem, the one thing I can’t remember the guys doing is drinking toilet water.
However, according to this recipe – and numerous others online – they did, and that scene (that has somehow been erased from my memory) is the inspiration for this vibrant blue drink.
Despite its icky name, it’s actually a beautiful cocktail, and it’s super yummy. You’ll make it with 7-Up, vodka, mixed berry Gatorade, and triple sec.
Of course, you can substitute blue curacao for the Gatorade if you prefer. Either way, it’s very good.