Seagram's 7 Crown Has an Apple Pie Flavor

Seagram’s 7 Crown is truly a relic of whisky’s glory years past. It’s almost hard to believe, but it was once the country’s best-selling brand—in 1972 it was selling more than 7 million cases annually, about 2 million cases more than today’s top seller, Jack Daniel’s. But 7 Crown collapsed along with the rest of the whisky market in the 1970s and 1980s and never really recovered. What’s remarkable is that it still sells 1.3 million cases (16 million bottles) a year, though that’s less than 20% of its peak volume.

7 Crown blends American whiskey with grain neutral spirits (GNS), which maximizes output while also creating a lighter profile. Its success was built on the immensely popular 7&7—a Highball mixed with 7UP. The 7&7 became a mainstay in bars across the country, a more affordable option than the ever-popular Jack & Coke. It was owned by Canadian drinks giant Seagram Co., the top spirits player of the mid-20^th century, and today is owned by Diageo, which purchased it in 2000 when Seagram was dissolved. It’s still made as a blend of American whiskey with grain neutral spirit, but it’s being brightened with a new flavored whiskey designed for summer get-togethers. Like its more high-flying sibling brand, Crown Royal, it has released a number of flavored entrants over the years. 7 Crown Apple Pie is the latest effort.

As the name suggests, Seagram's 7 Crown Apple Pie takes the original and blends it with natural flavors that attempt to replicate the flavor of apple pie. This one is bottled at 35% ABV, which is below the legal limit for whisky compared to the core brand’s 40%, similar to other flavored whiskies like Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Southern Comfort Original, Crown Royal Peach, and Skrewball Peanut Butter. The idea is to serve it over ice or mix it into a cocktail like a Spiked Lemonade or in a classic 7&7.

Seagram's 7 Crown Apple Pie is hitting store shelves this month for a limited time only. It has a suggested retail price of $12 a bottle. It joins the brand’s other flavored whiskeys, including Orchard Apple and Dark Honey.