The Finnish Long Drink is the best gin cocktail you’ve probably never heard of

You’ve heard of gin and tonics—maybe even Ranch Water. But there’s another refreshing, low-alcohol cocktail quietly winning over drinkers worldwide. It’s called the Finnish Long Drink (or Lonkero), and if you haven’t tried it yet, you’re missing out.

This simple drink is one of the best summer cocktails and has a history dating back 70 years. It’s popular not only in its homeland of Finland but beyond, bringing together gin with refreshing citrus.

The best part? This easy gin cocktail is simple to make at home. Try the Finnish Long Drink recipe out for yourself and find out why it has stuck around.

Traditional Finnish Long Drink recipe

If you want to try this special taste of Finland for yourself, you don’t have to head all the way to Helsinki (but if you do, you won’t be sorry — it’s an amazing place). No, you can make the Finnish Long Drink in the comfort of your own home, and as a bonus, you really don’t need to have fancy bartender skills to make this refreshing gin-and-citrus cocktail.

Ingredients

• Ice
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice (freshly squeezed is best)
• 2 ounces white grapefruit juice
• 2 ounces gin
• 3 ounces citrus-flavored soda (such as Fresca)
• Club soda
• Citrus fruit for garnish (grapefruit is traditional, but you can also use other fruits like lemon)

Method

1. Fill a highball glass with ice.
2. Add lemon juice, gin, grapefruit juice, and citrus soda.
3. Stir to combine.
4. Top with club soda and lightly stir.
5. Garnish with citrus fruit.

Tip: When choosing your soda, we like brands like Q Mixers or Fever Tree. For something a little more playful and nostalgic (and a little sweeter), seek out a can or two of Squirt or even a few bottles of Jarritos.

Tip: You can also go the tonic route and flavor it yourself with freshly squeezed grapefruit. Go one step further with this grapefruit gin drink and play around with a few other additions, like fresh blood orange, a touch of tangerine, or even a splash of apricot liqueur.

History of the Finnish Long Drink

Picture this: It’s the summer of 1952, and Helsinki is buzzing with Olympic energy. Thousands of visitors flood in — and with them, a thirst for something cold, refreshing, and easy to pour. The Finnish government needed a solution, fast. Enter: the Long Drink, a fizzy mix of gin and citrus soda. It’s called “lonkero” in its homeland and remains a vastly popular beverage, especially during the milder months. It’s sort of like the northern European version of Ranch Water, a drink that’s simultaneously minimalistic, deeply thirst-quenching, and not overly alcoholic.

Therein lies the beauty of the Finnish Long Drink. It’s got longevity. It’s a low-octane beverage you can sip on all day without losing your functionality. Better still, you can batch up large versions of it when you’re entertaining guests or looking to fill a thermos before adventuring out. And while the Finnish may make it a select way, it’s a drink that can be experimented with and doctored up to your personal liking.

These days, there are canned versions of the Finnish drink. And while those are tasty, you can also make your own at home.

What is a Lonkero?

A Lonkero is just the Finnish name for any long drink — so that’s any drink that consists of a spirit and a mixer. That could be the Finnish Long Drink described above, but it could also refer to drinks like a rum and coke or a vodka and orange juice. As in the U.S., people in Finland often drink their spirits with mixers as long drinks, and pre-packaged long drinks in cans or other containers are also popular.

So if you’re ordering at a Finnish bar and you see a type of drink called a Lonkero on the menu, look for more information — because you might end up with a Finnish Long Drink, or you might end up with something else altogether!