Finnish cranberry long drink

Cranberry long drink is a refreshing red drink made from grapefruit soda, gin, cranberry juice, and sugar syrup. This is a Finnish drink best enjoyed in Sauna or a warm summer day.

Check also the recipe for the regular lonkero-Finnish grapefruit long drink.

What is in cranberry long drink?

Finnish long drink called lonkero is made from grapefruit soda and gin. The cranberry variation has added cranberry juice in the recipe.

What does cranberry long drink taste like?

You would maybe think that this drink is tart and bitter since it has both grapefruit and cranberry juice, but this drink is actually very sweet and refreshing. Since this has not real grapefruit juice but soda, the citrus tones are actually quite subtle. Cranberry juice gives this a nice red color and it is balanced with some sugar syrup.

History

The first grapefruit long drinks were served in the Summer Games in Helsinki in 1952. A refreshing summer drink was developed to please a large number of tourists.

This drink was so popular that the production continued even after the Olympic Games. Since then the Finnish long drink has got many variations and this cranberry one is the most popular.

Read more about Finnish drinking culture.

Cranberry long drink ingredients

• Grapefruit soda
• Gin
• Cranberry juice
• Sugar syrup
• Ice

Tip: Freeze your cranberry juice in ice freezer bags and use this cranberry ice instead of regular ice. This is perfect in the summer so your drink does not get watery flavor when the ice melts.

How to make a sugar-free version

Use sugar-free grapefruit soda and sugar-free cranberry juice. You can make the sugar syrup by using a calorie-free erythritol sweetener.

Calories

1 can of store-bought cranberry long drink has an average of 190 calories. The US version has 160 calories in a 12 oz can. A light version in Finland has 90 calories in a can.

Recipe for making your own cranberry lonkero