The Story Behind The Finnish Long Drink

Since their inception, the Olympic games have provided a platform for historic athletic feats — and in more recent years — culinary innovation. While not the obvious attraction, food has seemingly always been central to the event. The first modern Olympic victor on record was a cook, named Coroebus of Elis, who won a sprinting event in 776 B.C.E. The Summer Games of 1984 were pivotal for the Olympic culinary scene and Californian cuisine in particular, and during the 2024 Olympics, Parmesan cheese took center stage. Meanwhile, it was at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics that Finland's long drink was born.

It was only the second Games since the end of World War II, and the Olympic hosts commissioned a refreshment that would be easy to produce and serve in large quantities. Helsinki-based beverage company Hartwall introduced the drink as the signature beverage of the 1952 games. A blend of gin and grapefruit soda, the Finnish long drink, or lonkero, was unique for being premixed and pre-bottled, making distribution practically seamless as crowds of sports enthusiasts descended on the city.

In the years following the 1952 Games, long drink, named for the statuesque highball glass it was served in, grew in popularity, becoming a staple at Finnish events and local bars. Initially, the rights to lonkero belonged to the Finnish government, which allowed local bars to distribute the drink on a rotating basis. After Finland joined the European Union in 1995, beverage manufacturers were allowed to create and sell their own versions of the Finnish Long Drink.

Today, long drink comfortably fits into the current canned cocktail craze. It made its official U.S. debut in 2018, when The Finnish Long Drink, an aptly named canned beverage brand, landed Stateside. Originally citrus-centric, this modern interpretation of long drink is also available in cranberry and peach flavors. While most of the lineup clocks in at 5.5% alcohol by volume, a "Strong Citrus" variety of The Finnish Long Drink boasts a boozy 8.5% ABV. If you manage to get your hands on some, consider dressing up the store-bought canned cocktail with fun garnishes. You can also mix your own lonkero at home by freely pouring grapefruit soda over ice and a couple of ounces of gin in a tall glass (pomegranate-flavored grenadine or another sweetener like fruit juice, optional). Either way, you'll have a fizzy, citrusy sipper fit for a Finn.