Nearly a decade ago, White Claw ignited a beverage revolution.
The alcoholic seltzer brand started off rather slowly. Hype was limited following its launch in 2016, but three years later, it had become so popular that it caused a nationwide shortage.
“White Claw has accelerated faster than anyone could have predicted,” the brand’s then-VP of Marketing told CNN.
That dominance has continued. In 2024, White Claw accounted for more than 60% of all dollar sales in the alcoholic malt beverage market, according to an expert who spoke to VinePair.
In 2025, Beverage Industry estimated that White Claw’s sales topped $2 billion. (White Claw is a privately owned company and does not release earnings and sales data).
Now, the Mark Anthony Group, White Claw’s parent company, is hoping to repeat that success with its latest acquisition, The Finnish Long Drink.
Mark Anthony Group acquires The Finnish Long Drink
In mid-April the Mark Anthony Group shared that it had brought The Finnish Long Drink into its family of brands.
Founded in 2018 by several Finnish entrepreneurs, The Finnish Long Drink pays tribute to the gin and grapefruit cocktail it’s based on while adding a refreshing and original twist.
“Long drinks have been around in Finland for generations,” Co-founder Mikael Taipale said in a statement. “When we set out to launch The Finnish Long Drink, we wanted to create a brand rich with tradition for generations to come.”
Fans latched on to that ethos quickly. In fact, several notable celebrities enjoyed the drink so much they invested. Actor Miles Teller, DJ Kygo, and professional golfer Rickie Fowler are all partial owners of the line.
“I first came across Long Drink as a fan — it felt different from anything else out there,” Teller said. “With The Mark Anthony Group of Companies, we have the right partner to introduce the brand to even more people without losing what made people enjoy it in the first place.”
As for the Mark Anthony Group, executives are confident that the acquisition will further solidify its place as a leader in the industry.
“Our focus has always been on building and scaling brands that stand out in their category and resonate with consumers,” CEO Phil Rosse said. “Long Drink has already established strong momentum and a clear point of difference in the RTD space, and we see a meaningful opportunity to build on that success by expanding its reach and bringing it to more consumers.”
The Finnish Long Drink fast facts
Here’s everything you need to know about The Finnish Long Drink.
- The original cocktail, commissioned by the Finnish government ahead of the 1952 Olympics, consisted of grapefruit juice and gin.
- The canned version was founded in 2018 by several Finnish entrepreneurs and one American, Evan Burns, who is now the company’s CEO.
- Canned Finnish Long Drinks currently come in seven flavors — traditional citrus, zero sugar citrus, zero sugar peach, zero sugar pineapple, strong citrus, cranberry, and peach.
- ABVs for the drink range from 5% to 8.5%.
Source: The Finnish Long Drink
Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Alcohol sales are slowing down
The Mark Anthony Group may feel confident about The Finnish Long Drink, but there’s no denying that the retail alcohol market is struggling right now.
Alcohol spending as a percentage of household budgets has shrunk to near 40-year lows, according to recent data from Bank of America. As a whole, Americans are spending less because they’re consuming less.
More retail:
- Hershey wants to make more than candy
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Card data collected by the bank reveals that alcohol purchased for at-home consumption is taking the largest hit. Spending at liquor, wine, and beer stores was down 5% year over year in January 2026.
Often, you’ll see this trend attributed to younger generations such as Millennials or Gen Zers, but this time, they aren’t the only culprits. The percentage of all U.S. adults who consume alcohol sits at just 54%, according to a 2025 Gallup poll.
The number is “the lowest by one percentage point in Gallup’s nearly 90-year trend,” the analytics company said.
However, there are some things alcohol brands can do to boost sales, according to beverage insights company IWSR.
“In some categories, modest improvements were supported by new product launches or continued consumer interest in familiar brands,” IWSR Managing Director Marten Lodewijks said in a blog post earlier this year.
It follows that The Finnish Long Drink, a new launch by a familiar brand, could be exactly the thing the Mark Anthony Group needs to keep sales up in a depressed sector.
Related: Target brings back nostalgic treat for limited time