We all know that White Claws and Truly's are for the summer months. The hard seltzer brands rose to insane frat boy popularity in 2019 and really haven't left our sweaty summer barbecue hands since. It makes sense that we reach for them when we are outside in the summer sun. It's lighter than a beer or a mixed drink, but feels just as refreshing. Plenty of non-seltzer beer brands have waded into the space to try to grab a piece of the pie.
But when the weather cools down and we trade our bathing suits for puffer jackets, the hard seltzer gets swapped out for something warmer, something heavier, something that will thaw us out. It could be a dark beer or a hot toddy or a tall glass of dark red, but it's certainly not something that tastes like a hard seltzer. That's where the Finnish Long Drink comes in — a drink light enough to sip on year round, but with cozy elements to make it the perfect winter beverage.
The history of the Finnish Long Drink (the cocktail)
The origins of the Finnish Long Drink can be traced back to the 1950s. During the 1952 Summer Games in Helsinki, bars were understaffed. To help ease the crowds that would no doubt want a drink, the Finnish government commissioned the creation of the Finnish Long Drink. Traditionally, it's a mixture of gin and grapefruit soda. Today, there are several companies that sell canned versions all over the world, with the brand the Finnish Long Drink being one in the U.S.
What is the Finnish Long Drink (the brand)?
The canned cocktail made by the Finnish Long Drink is made from distilled spirit — gin — with natural grapefruit flavors and juniper. It's a little different from other canned cocktails with most flavors clocking in around 5% ABV. It's also carbonated.
What make the Finnish Long Drink like a hard seltzer but for winter?
Let's break this down.
1. It's made with grapefruit flavors.
It's got that light citrus taste that you look for in a hard seltzer. It's not too overpowering. It's not overly sweet. It doesn't burn your throat with any artificial flavor.
2. It's low ABV.
The 5% alcohol per can is on par with most hard seltzers, making it a really easy-to-drink beverage.
3. It give cozy winter vibes.
This comes through in two ways. The first is the flavor. Citrus paired juniper screams Christmas to me. Throw in their cranberry flavor, my personal favorite of their four options, and you've got a canned beverage the big jolly man himself would promote. The second is branding. It comes from Finland, which just gives me cozy, winter vibes, and is sold in blue and red cans. You can laugh all you want, but branding is what got us all to drink claws in the summer sun. It's only a matter of time before we have a winter equivalent. For me, it will always be the Finnish Long Drink.