REVIEW: Simple 7UP

Simple 7Up Box

What is Simple 7UP?

7UP has employed the KISS principle (“Keep It Simple, Stupid”) and brought us all a pared down version of its lemon-lime soft drink. Simple 7UP is as uncomplicated as possible with only six real ingredients: filtered carbonated water, sugar, citric acid, lemon extract, lime extract, and stevia leaf extract.

How is it?

Simple 7Up Top

I was optimistic about this soda as I smelled it in the can since it had a much more distinct lemon and lime scent than I’m used to from 7UP. When I took a sip, it initially excited me with its exceptionally light and crisp flavor, reminding me of a sparkling citrus juice beverage. Unlike regular 7UP, which encases blended lemon-lime flavor in a rounded syrupiness, Simple 7UP had noticeably separate flavors of lemon and lime that were lightly sweetened and incredibly fresh in the carbonated water. And despite using extracts instead of juice, the taste of each managed to shine without being too strong.

Simple 7Up Glass

But then the stevia had to go and complicate things. The sip that started off so strong quickly turned bitter yet off-puttingly sweet, then had the audacity to finish on that terrible note. And so it went for each sip until I’d had enough about half of a can in.

The highs were so high and the lows were so low, I’m honestly not sure how I feel about this soda.

Anything else you need to know?

It seems like 7UP isn’t sure how they feel about it either, since there’s barely any mention of the beverage from the brand online; it’s conspicuously absent from the product section of its website. I found one article saying Simple 7UP was being test-marketed about a year ago, but couldn’t find any information about this rollout.

Additionally, I was surprised to learn the original 7UP also only contains six ingredients. So, keep in mind the simplicity here lies in the “real”ness of the ingredients themselves, not their quantity.

Conclusion:

Simple 7Up Can

Simply said, I’m torn. I loved how five of the six ingredients worked together, but the inclusion of stevia caused each sip to end on a flavor repellent enough for me to decide to not purchase again. Anyone who’s ever seen how much sugar is in a lemonade recipe can understand the hesitation to make sugar the only sweetener in a citrus soda, but it’s hard to not imagine how spectacular Simple 7UP could have tasted if they had kept it even simpler.

Purchased Price: $6.49
Size: 12 pack (12 oz cans)
Purchased at: Ralphs
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 40 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of total carbohydrates, 28 grams of total sugars, and 0 grams of protein.

34 thoughts to “REVIEW: Simple 7UP”

    1. I don’t like the new 7-up Simple taste. To me they screwed up the taste and I will change to Sprite.

      Dissatisfied Customer.

      Debbie Organ

  1. Stevia can be a hard sell for many. I’ve gotten much more used to it as I’ve had more and more stevia drinks, but I don’t know if I’ll ever truly accept it. I do want to try this still.

  2. Hmm, I may have to give this one a try, if it’s available here. Stevia’s the one sugar substitute I can stand as a primary sweetener, so as a secondary one? I’m game.

  3. 7 UP has always been my go-to lemon lime soft drink. The one by Coke has always tasted nasty IMO although kids may enjoy it more. If the “real” 7 UP also has 6 ingredients what did the stevia replace. I agree with the reviewer that my first thought was that it tasted more like Sprite than the drink I’ve grown accustomed to. I really didn’t notice the Simple written on the 12 pack and thought it was just different packaging. I won’t get fooled again with their New Coke experiment.

    1. I my self really like the simple 7up, i just learned of the ingredient ‘stevia’ i can do without that artificial sweetener , but i really like the crisp flavor, however it’s really hard to find now…. please bring it back !!
      I do not like the heavy syrup in reg drinks, and i do not like sprite its just to sweet and doesn’t taste good to me, so take out the stevia and leave the real sugar, what ever you need to do to keep it on the market !!!

  4. Yuck on Stevia. They could have bragged that it only has FIVE ingredients if they got rid of that.

    1. I agree there is such an aftertaste with the simple 7-Up! They need to keep it the regular 7-Up especially when you’re sick it is such a relief to be able to go to the standard! I thought I was buying the regular 7-Up because it looked just like the Cannes other than the word simple. You’re trying to pass something off that really isn’t the original and I can taste the Stevia which is awful.

    2. Expected all natural with sugar. If I had seen the stevia would not have purchase. To me it tastes like seltzer, leaves a definite bitter after taste that I attributed to the antibiotics I am on. Love the real 7up and planned on using this for my “frequent fluids” that my doc recommended

  5. I have no problem with Stevia. And the missing ingredient from 1929 is Lithium. Can’t include that today. I love the taste of Simple 7UP. I guess I’m the oddball.

  6. I’ve had stevia before and it was ok. However. Somrthing here is not good
    Won’t buy it again

  7. I have always been suspicious of products that have so many ingredients. Who knows what each one of those ingredients does by itself or in combination with all the other ingredients. Doctors tell us not to mix certain drugs, and it would seem to be reasonable that such advice would apply to the ingredients in food products as well. Yes, that is just a hunch not based upon science, but in my somewhat strange approach to knowledge, it makes some sense. Please do not take this harshly, but the taste of simple is very close to the taste of original 7UP, and both are different from competitors. Now here is a suggestion for any soft drink bottler: Back in the day, I loved a drink known as Golden Girl Sundrop Cola. Mountain Dew is similar, but that drink was a little better than Mountain Dew.

  8. Have enjoyed this soft drink for 50 years, the after taste of stevia ruins 7up, will not buy it again unless the other formula is available for purchase, I am all for change if it is better, however, in this case, don’t try to fix something that isn’t broken.

    1. I agree there is such an aftertaste with the simple 7-Up! They need to keep it the regular 7-Up especially when you’re sick it is such a relief to be able to go to the standard! I thought I was buying the regular 7-Up because it looked just like the Cannes other than the word simple. You’re trying to pass something off that really isn’t the original and I can taste the Stevia which is awful.

  9. I literally hate it. I drink two cases of 7up a week. It has the worst parts of Sierra Mist and Sprite in one drink.

  10. I would have liked this with pure sugar, and no artificial sweetener.
    It seems Regardless how folks try, they just can’t hide the fake sweeteners.
    Diet pepsi came close, but even it isn’t great.

  11. I totally agree with those that said they didn’t like the “Simple” 7 Up, probably due to the dang stevia they put in in. They should keep the dang stevia in diet drinks, not good tasting, refreshing drinks like 7 Up. Last time this happened was with a protein drink that I had been consuming for a few years. The reason I bought it is because I liked the taste. Then the maker started putting stevia in it. I tasted it right away and was repulsed. Is there a stevia cartel that’s forcing companies to use their crappy tasting product? It sure seem so.

    When I went into the market the other day I grabbed a 12 pack of what I thought was 7Up, but it wasn’t. Thumbs down to 7 Up “Simple”. Thumbs down to stevia. Thumbs down to companies that change what’s in the can without significant changes to the can’s appearance. I feel like I’ve been bait and switched.

    What’s the company trying to do, be like the despicable tech companies that force updates on people in order to create a fresh income stream from the bamboozled and coerced?

    Perhaps the people running 7 Up are too young to remember Coca-Cola’s classic misstep in the late seventies or early eighties with “New Coke”. It was a classic lesson in what not to do, and how not to do it, that’s probably still taught in business classes around the world. The folks at 7 Up should check it out.

  12. We got fooled too and thought just new labeling. Neither my husband or I like. Leave a bad ate in mouth and mix with Brandy. Must be the Stevia. But must confess was not an enjoyable drink and we bought 3 cartons of it. Ugh! Would not buy again. It’s just sT blah and not enjoyable at all. Will try without the booze just for a cold drink but t doubt if I will like. Sorry 7-Up!

  13. Simple 7up is horrible. No sparkling bite..Taste flat. No lemon lime flavor at all. Sucks worse when paired with patrón. Wished I’d read the box instead of just blindly grabbing it. Worse $6.00 I’ve spent in a while. Anyone else feel like this. ?

  14. THIS NEW 7UP IS NASTY
    I’M 51 YEARS OLD. I HAVE
    NEVER FOUND A DRINK I
    LIKE TILL I DRANK 7UP I LOVED IT
    I STARTED TO DRINK IT FOR
    1 MONTH THEN THIS NEW
    HORRIBLE 7UP REPLACED THE
    WONDERFUL 7UP NOW I’M
    BACK TO LOOKING FOR A NEW
    DRINK. WHATEVER IT WON’T
    REALLY MATTER WHAT I
    REALLY THINK.
    I PRAY ENOUGH PEOPLE HATE ? IT.
    IN HOPE U BRING BACK THE RIGHT 7UP
    RIP THE TRUE REAL FORMER 7UP.

  15. The after taste of Simple 7 Up is terrible. Thought I could disguise it by making a 7 up cake but it was even worse. Unbelievable how it distorted the Frosting of powdered sugar and lemon juice. Total waste of ingredients. Bought it by accident by not reading the whole label.. That won’t happen again!

  16. Its better then 7 up . All these reviews of a more natural soda being offered and complaints about stevia over is ridiculous. I haven’t bought another soda since. I can actually drink this and not feel guilty. Calories are less nothing other then sugar to worry about drinking to much. Thank you 7 up for making a soda somewhat healthier then every other brand available. Perfect for mixing for health conscious adults. And punches for children NOTHING ARTIIFICIAL

  17. 7up is my go to drink. I love the refreshing taste this new crap is disgusting and I will never buy it again. I mistakenly purchased a 12 pack of this swill and I tring to decide between taking it to work to give to anybody or just throwing it away so no one else has to be subjected to its nasty after taste.

  18. Not sure who thought a drink mixer would go over as a soft drink, but they should be fired,. No more 7up “simple”. It simply made me feel nauseus..?

  19. I’m a 40 years 7up drinker just tried simple 7up it was discusting tastes like diet soda with an awful after taste Stevie is gross I hope you’ll consider going back to the old recipe.

  20. They lost yet another lifelong customer. Took it back to get my money back. Not kidding. Albertsons removed all the real 7-Up and replaced it with this. Easy for me to never drink 7-Up again. There are hundreds of other drinks.

    They ruined 7-Up a couple decades ago by making it less acid, so it became a worse mixer, and wasn’t as good when you had an upset stomach. But at least the then-new 7-Up was better than Slice or Mountain Dew. Looks like the bean counters yet again got the executive vice president of bad ideas to do his thing. Looks like The Powers That Be are pushing artificial sugar in everything containing sugar now. To get the next generation used to the taste, so they can switch to chemicals instead of food.

  21. Take the lemon out of 7Up. Would make it much better. Will not drink it until you do.

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