Charles Leiper Grigg (May 11, 1868 – April 16, 1940) was the inventor of

7 Up 7 Up (stylized as 7up outside North America) is an American brand of lemon-lime-flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. The brand and formula are owned by Keurig Dr Pepper although the beverage is internationally distributed by PepsiCo. 7 Up comp ...

, originally known as ''Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda''. He invented the drink in October 1929. Grigg became acquainted with the

carbonated beverage A soft drink (see § Terminology for other names) is a drink that usually contains water (often carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural and/or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a sugar ...

business after moving to

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

. Prior to inventing 7 Up, Grigg had created an orange soft drink named "Whistle" for the Vess Soda Company. It is still made and sold in St. Louis.

History

Charles Leiper Grigg was born in 1868 in

Prices Branch, Missouri Prices Branch is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Missouri, Montgomery County, Missouri, United States. The community is located on State Highway JJ and Price's Branch Road and is approximately east of Montgo ...

to Charles L. S. Grigg (1822–1883) and Mary Elizabeth Leiper Grigg (1839–1890). At the age of 22, Grigg moved to

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

and began working in the advertising field in which he was introduced to the carbonated beverage business through the various agencies he was partnered. By 1919, Charles Leiper Grigg was working as a salesman for a manufacturing company owned by Vess Jonea. It was there that Grigg invented and marketed his first soft drink called "Whistle". The success of the drink led to his promotion to the position of sales and marketing manager, however, eventually he and Voss came to loggerheads and Grigg left the company, leaving Whistle behind. He eventually settled at the Warner Jenkinson Company developing flavoring agents for soft drinks. It was at this time that Grigg invented then his second soft drink, an orange-flavored beverage with 14% sugar named "Howdy". He partnered with financier Edmund G. Ridgway and lawyer Frank Gladney and formed the Howdy Company. Based on the quality of the product and supported by Ridgway's financing, the company grew quickly, adding bottling companies anxious to sell the drink.

Personal life

Grigg was married to Lucy E. Alexander Grigg. Lucy and Charles had several children. He died on April 16, 1940, in St. Louis.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grigg, Charles Leiper 1868 births 1940 deaths 20th-century American inventors Drink company founders Keurig Dr Pepper people People from St. Louis