The 2 Specific Drinks You Need To Mix A Seven And Seven Cocktail

The Seven and Seven (aka 7 & 7) is a humble yet formidable classic. It's made with Seagram's 7 Crown Blended Whiskey and 7UP stirred over ice in a highball glass — and that's it. It isn't a particularly sophisticated cocktail, but its simplicity is effective.

The Seven and Seven highball was unofficially invented sometime during the Prohibition era, but it really took off in the 1970s. It soared in popularity so much that the drink is considered single-handedly responsible for rocketing Seagram's 7 to the top-selling spirits brand in America in 1947 — a particularly impressive feat considering Seagram's 7 is originally a Canadian brand.

For decades, the Seven and Seven moved tens of millions of cases of Seagram's every year and cemented this cocktail's position in the two-part drink hall of fame. It didn't step out of the lemon-limelight (pun intended) until the vodka boom of the '90s, and today it totes a fashionable nostalgic quality that's just as alluring as when the drink first broke onto the scene many years ago. If you're a romantic with a penchant for the sleazier side of vintage, this one's for you.

Seagram's 7 Crown Blended Whiskey is oak-aged with a vanilla finish and light citrus notes, a fitting pair for the sweet lemon-lime flavor of 7UP. Its smooth sweetness makes it more accessible than other stiffer whiskeys, a great choice for fledgling cocktail fans or anybody looking for a new signature drink. Plus, the fizziness of the soda adds an interesting mouthfeel to this understated highball.

The official 7UP and Seagram's 7 websites offer slightly different recipes for the ultimate Seven and Seven cocktail. The soda brand recommends 6 ounces 7UP and 1 ounce of Seagram's 7. The whiskey maker suggests 5 ounces of soda to 1 ½ ounces of whiskey and a lime wheel to garnish. Other bartenders garnish with a lemon wheel. Choose your own adventure (why not garnish with both?). You can make this bad boy as strong or as weak as you choose.

If your local watering hole doesn't keep Seagram's 7 and 7UP on tap, rest assured — this cocktail does better with its namesake brands, but it doesn't have to be exclusively these ingredients to still work. Any lemon-lime soda (whatever's in the bar gun) and any bourbon whiskey will get the job done. Opt for a smoother, vanilla-finished bourbon whiskey for the closest emulation, something toting notes of honey, amber, vanilla, and even tobacco spice. Whichever whiskey you choose, keep it in the 45-50% ABV range to retain the cocktail's punch.