Here is a guest review by Julie…
When I was about 8, our family moved to a remote part of Connecticut that was easily five miles from any main commercial shopping areas. The only place we could get candy was the neighborhood gas station, complete with a grungy, grumpy old mechanic guy who, though a bit scary, stocked some awesome candy in his little 2-bay garage; I have since wondered if he was a Candy Addict himself. Of all the candies that he had on display (and though I bought others, too), it was the Seven Up bar that got a sizable chunk of my allowance money every time.
Discontinued sometime in the 70’s, the Seven Up bar began its seven-sectioned life in the 1930s, before the 7-Up Bottling Company began making its soft drink. Eventually the 7-Up company bought the bar and retired it, so they had the exclusive use of the name whichever way it was spelled: Seven Up or 7-Up. None of that mattered a whit to me, as I was only interested in one thing: those seven sections of chocolate-covered different candy centers, meaning I was getting seven big pieces of candy in one regular-sized bar. Quite a bargain to me back then for my hard-saved pennies and nickels (shoot, I’d pay just about anything for one today)!
The Seven Up bar itself consisted of seven separated, filled sections connected by an outer chocolate shell. The shell was real milk chocolate, a bit thick on the edges, but thinner over the fillings, and had a good snap to it if bitten, and a smooth melt if left upon your tongue. The seven fillings were: Orange Jelly, Maple, Caramel, Brazil Nut, Fudge, Coconut, and Cherry; each was so distinct and different that no two bites were remotely alike. I loved the Seven Up bar for that reason especially, and, too, both the chocolate and the candy centers were really, really good.
The Orange Jelly filling was so unique compared to the rest, with the cracking of the chocolate coating a fun contrast to the jellied center; I remember this one as being particularly good. Very orangey and sweet, kind of like an Orange Crush soda. The Maple was smooth, creamy and very, very sweet; similar to the maple syrup candy that you can buy in New England. Caramel was chewy and thick as well as deliciously buttery and sweet.
Brazil Nut had that rich, oily nutty flavor true to Brazil nuts, and the Fudge went especially well with this one if you chose to actually eat the two together (which is probably why they put those two next to each other)! Fudge was rich, thick and very, very intensely chocolaty. Coconut was exactly like my mother’s coconut cookies, which I still love, and again, a very sweet filling. And finally, the Cherry, which was not usually a favorite flavor for me in other candies. However, this Cherry filling was so fruity, tasty and smooth that it melted right away in my mouth and left me quite satisfied.
I always ate my Seven Up bar in order, starting with one end and moving to the other. I once broke the sections apart and tried eating it that way, not being sure of what I would be getting since they were out of order, but I got frustrated and went back to my orderly biting off of those chocolate chunks, savoring each one slowly (though I did have a hard time not biting into both the Brazil Nut and the Orange Jelly and chomping them up with the chocolate together, making for a great textural experience in addition to the great taste).
Necco’s Sky Bar, originating in the 1938 and still available today, is the only thing similar to the Seven Up bar, however, with only four compartments, it pales in comparison for me. I’d love to see the Seven Up bar brought back in its full, original, seven-sectioned glory… overly-sweet but wonderful, those chocolate-covered compartments containing unique flavors that I swear I can still taste. If you wanted a lot of different flavors in one bar, rather like picking the best pieces out of your mother’s big box of Valentine’s candy, then the Seven Up bar was the one to have, and there are many of us out here today who would love to have one now!
Wow..did you bring back memories. The Seven Up bar was my all time favorite. Just like you said, each section was awesome. I also started at one end and continued down to the last piece, I think it was the brazil nut. I would love to have it brought back, but there is no way it would be that good anymore, not with all the artificial flavors and chemicals they use now.
But thanks for the memories..it was a delicious trip! (I too, loved the orange jelly, and the cherry..oh heck, loved the whole thing)
I did not know why they stopped making it, now that I do, I am so glad that I do not drink soda..especially 7-Up….
April 7th, 2008 at 9:07 amDown with 7-Up !!
oh wow - these look delicious! I wish they still made them!
April 7th, 2008 at 5:59 pmI had never heard of a 7-up but I had a friend in England mention it to me not too weeks ago. (I guess they were made there, too.) And here it is again! Weeeeiiiirrrrd!!
April 7th, 2008 at 6:14 pmMummy, I want one! I WANT one!!
Sounds pretty dig-dang tasty. They don’t make em like that anymore.
April 8th, 2008 at 1:37 amI had never even heard of these, they sound amazing! Honestly, after reading this review my mouth is watering. I do have this bizarre vision in my head of a can of Crush beating the high-fructose-corn-syrup tar out of a can of 7-Up, though.
Too bad they still don’t make these, because I would love to get my hands on one!
April 8th, 2008 at 6:41 amGreat article! I don’t remember those, but they sound delicious.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:48 amOh, you described it perfectly! Even down to the grungy gas station where I would buy them, too. I remember going with my dad when he would get his car serviced. He would always buy me a candy bar and I would choose either the Seven Up bar, the Marathon bar, or Now and Laters. Not too many people remember the Seven Up bar when I mention it. It was one of my favorites as a kid! I, too, would break off the sections one by one and eat.
April 30th, 2008 at 6:48 pmI was a kid back around 1978and my brother worked at the gift shop at our local hospital and he would bring me home one every few days they were the most awsome candy ever,so allthese years later i was thinking about them and started asking if anyone ever herd of them and people acted like i was crazy so I googled it and found this great site so the the little chubby kid from the day gets the last laugh thanks for site and lets start a petion to get these back the world would be much better place lol.
May 1st, 2008 at 10:10 amMany, many times I have thought of this candy bar with longing. I have described to people who had never heard of it (it was before their time) and they, too, said it would be wonderful to taste a candy bar like that. I can’t tell you how MANY of the Seven Up bars I’ve bought in my young life. There was no other candy bar like it and there hasn’t been since. So, I’m begging the “powers that be” to bring this wonderful candy bar out of retirement and introduce it to a whole new generation of candy lovers and reintroduce to us Seven Up lovers who miss it SO much! Please, pretty please, with orange jelly, maple, coconut, fudge, cherry and Brazil Nut on top, um, I mean in the center! LOL!
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:09 amThat sounds awesome. I’d love to try a candy bar like that.
May 5th, 2008 at 1:12 amThe 7-up bar could not have disappeared in the 1970’s because I remember buying them, fresh too, in the 1980’s. I really miss that bar….AHHHHH…..
Think I’ll write to have 7-up bring it back. Greedy capitalists wanting it back just because they want to keep their stupid trademark name!!! It’s not like people stopped buying these remarkable candy bars!!
That’s all I have to say about that!
May 6th, 2008 at 10:55 pm