Alyssa Lynne Photography
I've never heard of a "long drink"
Have you? Unless you are of Finnish decent there is a pretty good chance you've never heard of this cocktail either. I certainly hadn't until the makers for The Long Drink reached out to me. Turns out this is a point of national pride in Finland - and after trying it, I can see why!
*insert teacher voice here* The Long Drink was originally created by the Finnish Government for the Olympics in 1952. They were afraid bartenders couldn't give out booze fast enough to the tourists so they accidentally developed this fourth category of alcohol in Finland that doesn't exist ant where else in the world! It has long been considered the "best kept secret of Finland." *history lesson over*
Thank goodness for us it is no longer a secret and no longer only available in Finland.
I know I sound like I'm sponsored by The Long Drink - or Finland - but I'm not a swear. This is just a really good cocktail. You know I am always up for testing a new cocktail. I'm never going to turn anyone away who wants me to review their canned cocktail for us. But sometimes that pays off for better than others. In this case - total win!
"Oh wow" - I think those were the first words out of my mouth when I tried this canned cocktail. I had read the description on the can "a unique taste of natural grapefruit and juniper berry flavors with gin" and I was a little worried. I don't love grapefruit OR gin. But holy cocktail Batman! This s*%t is good.
To set the scene for you a little bit, my girl friends and I tried The Long Drink on our fourth day in Vegas - calm down, we were there for work. BUT we had drank a lot of whiskey by this point in the trip so weren't totally in the mood fo another drink. They are great friends though so they rallied with me - thanks babes!
When I say this canned cocktail should be mandatory in Vegas I mean it. Move over bloody mary's and greyhounds, this should be your new hair-of-the-dog cocktail. Plus, it is the perfect poolside cocktail for summer. I can't put my finger on why it is such a great cocktail but I think it is the combination of the bubbles and the super light hint grapefruit (nothing too tart). I did not taste gin - or any alcohol for that matter - in this cocktail. A lot of the canned cocktails knock you back a bit on the first sip with this overwhelming alcohol-ness. The Long Drink was smooth sailing right from the first sip.
One shaker = not sweet at all // Five shakers = your teeth may curl
This cocktail is not sweet at all. It is grapefruit flavored which had me worried it would be too tart or bitter. It definitely is not. It is a light, bubbly drink that is not sweet or tart.
One shaker = does this have booze? Five shakers = Four Lokos
This canned cocktail rings in at 5.5% ABV. It is not the booziest cocktail but it will give you a nice relaxing fuzz. I CAN. NOT. WAIT. to drink these all summer. They are perfect for a hot day. Bubbly, refreshing and boozy - that's the trifecta for me on a hot summer day.
Would I buy these again?
HELL YES! And you should too. The Long Drink is mostly available on the East Coast for now but a little birdy told me they'd be available in Vegas soon.
Don't worry if you haven't seen them in your area, you can order them online!
Order The Long Drink online here >>
And check out their other flavors here >>
Photo by Alyssa Lynne Photography
Have you tried this drink? What did you think? I'd love to hear from you in the comments section. The more opinions the better! Let's "drink together" and share our cocktail stories.
We have officially made the switch to paper straws! And their BENDY! Check out our new paper straws in our shop.
Note: We hope you enjoy our reviews. If you do decide to purchase these cocktails online using the links provided we may collect a small share of the sale.
@Matthew – That is such a good plan for Thanksgiving. I love the bubbles of these too. They are light but not light in flavor. Two thumbs up for sure!