Finnish Long Drink

Here’s how to make a Finnish Long Drink at home! It’s sweet tart, fizzy, and could not be more refreshing.

Here’s a unique highball cocktail that we highly recommend giving a try: the Finnish Long Drink! This concoction of gin and usually grapefruit soda was invented in Finland in the 1950’s, and you can find it everywhere in country. It’s now becoming available canned in the US: but why not make it homemade? This spin is easy to make and so fizzy, sweet tart and refreshing, we couldn’t help but take another sip.

First, what’s a long drink?

A long drink is another name for a highball: a family of cocktails with a larger percentage of mixer than alcohol, usually a fruit juice or soda water. Typically they’re served over ice and often in a tall highball glass. Some famous long drinks? The Tom Collins, Long Island Iced Tea, or Screwdriver.

What’s a Finnish long drink?

The Finnish long drink (aka lonkero) is a highball cocktail served in Finland, a combination of gin and usually grapefruit soda. It was invented at the 1952 Summer Olympic Games in Finland: a stroke of genius by the government to tackle the problem of serving drinks to a massive crowd. It caught on and today is served all over Finland, often on tap at restaurants.

Today you can find a canned cocktail in the US called “The Finnish Long Drink.” It’s a company was created by former Finnish exchange students who wanted to bring the signature drink to the America. But the best way to taste a long drink? Make it homemade! This recipe is inspired by the Finnish concept, not a recreation of the canned cocktail. Here’s what’s in this Finnish long drink:

• Gin
• Lemon juice
• Unsweetened cranberry juice (optional)
• Grapefruit soda

Use grapefruit soda, or other flavors as desired

The most popular Finnish long drink is a mix of gin and grapefruit soda, but you can find other flavors like cranberry and lime. You should be able to find a grapefruit soda at your local grocery store, but if not you can opt for a lime soda. The grapefruit does lend a nice citrus balance, so we highly recommend finding it if at all possible.

Cranberry juice is optional

Cranberry juice is not required in a Finnish long drink, but it adds a nice counterpoint to the citrus of the grapefruit and adds a vibrant color. It comes out perfectly balanced, the ideal mix of sweet, tart, and bubbly! Make sure to find 100% unsweetened cranberry juice if you can. Bottles labeled “cranberry juice” or “cranberry juice cocktail” have added sugar. The unsweetened variety is key here!

How to make a Finnish long drink

Long drinks are some of the easiest cocktails to make: because most of them you can build in the glass! Instead of dirtying a cocktail shaker or mixing glass, simply pour each ingredient into the glass and enjoy. Here’s how to make a Finnish long drink:

• Add 2 ounces gin and ½ ounce each lemon juice and unsweetened cranberry juice to an ice-filled highball glass.
• Top with 4 ounces grapefruit soda. Enjoy!

If you’d like a cocktail bar look, serve the drink with clear ice: it’s crystal clear ice you can make at home and cut into organic shapes. It makes a highball, in our opinion!

More long drinks

Looking for more long drinks? Here are a few of our top highball cocktails:

• Tonic water cocktails like Vodka Tonic, Gin and Tonic, Whiskey Tonic, and Tequila Tonic
• Club soda cocktails like Tom Collins, Vodka Soda, Gin Rickey, Whiskey Highball, and Ranch Water
• Ginger beer or ginger ale cocktails like Classic Moscow Mule, Dark and Stormy or Whiskey Ginger

01

Tom Collins Cocktail

02

Best Gin and Tonic

03

Whiskey Highball

04

Gin Rickey

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