What Exactly Is A Finnish Long Drink?

With every booze brand on Earth coming out with some kind of canned hard seltzer, beer, wine, or pre-fab cocktail, the canned beverage fatigue can really start to hit. Sure, you want something cold and portable that doesn't require a corkscrew or bottle opener. But it's hard to know if that new canned seltzer is going to taste like guava or more like someone dropped a skittle and a battery in it.

But there's a canned drink that's only recently started making its way into the American market, and it seems to be designed for that beach cooler life.

The Finnish Long Drink might sound like slang for a hot Scandinavian, but it's actually a cocktail with a history that blends local Finnish ingredients with maximum efficiency. Made from Finnish gin, grapefruit, citrus, and "the world's cleanest water" — according to Long Drink inventor Hartwall — it's like a lighter, more effervescent take on a Greyhound cocktail.

Also known as lonkero, the Finnish Long Drink was first developed in 1952 for the Helsinki Summer Olympics and was invented at the encouragement of the Finnish government as an answer to serve the enormous masses of people in attendance at the Olympic Games. It was an instant success, and what could have been an Olympic flop turned into Finland's most popular summer drink. The beverage gets its name from the highball glass used, similar to how "Long Drink" is used for highballs or mixed drinks in many northern European countries. It was designed by the Finnish beverage company Hartwall, and by 1956, it was the third highest-selling drink in Helsinki.

But the drink's production was closely monitored by Alko, Finland's national government-run alcoholic beverage distributor. Hartwall was only able to sign three-year contracts at a time to continue Long Drink production until 1995 when Finland joined the European Union, dissolving the Finnish government's ownership rights on the Long Drink.

Even after Long Drink production opened up, it took decades for the drink to make it to America. But since 2018, the Long Drink company has opened up this Scandinavian staple to a broader audience. Founded by a group of Finnish friends and bringing in high-profile investors like Norwegian DJ Kygo, the company offers a canned version of the Finnish specialty (usually served on tap in Finland). They offer a traditional version, a high-ABV version, a zero-calorie version, and a cranberry-flavored version of the Finnish Long Drink, a popular variation on the cocktail.

These canned cocktails are best-served ice cold and have a tart flavor piqued with botanicals and juniper. They have a 5-5.5% ABV (except for the 8.5% "Strong" Long Drink) and happen to be gluten-free as well. The canned cocktail was recently ranked as the fastest-growing spirit in the world.

You can also make your own Long Drink at home, using two parts gin to two parts grapefruit juice and three parts Fresca, with a splash of lemon juice and club soda.