Mark Anthony Group to buy Finnish Long Drink
Why does this matter?
Major acquisition in the booming RTD beverage space shows how successful emerging brands scale through strategic exits, with Finnish Long Drink growing from startup (2018) to 2.6M cases and acquisition by White Claw's parent company.
Highlights
White Claw owner Mark Anthony Group has expanded its ready-to-drink (RTD) portfolio with the purchase of The Finnish Long Drink, which is backed by actor Miles Teller. Mark Anthony Group is already The Finnish Long Drink’s exclusive distributor in Canada, supporting its expansion in the market, and will now build the brand across North America following the acquisition. The deal is expected to close in the coming weeks. Mark Anthony Group's CEO, Phil Rosse, said: "Our focus has always been on building and scaling brands that stand out in their category and resonate with consumers. "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." Finnish Long Drink will join Mark Anthony Group's RTD portfolio, which includes White Claw, Mike's Hard Lemonade and Cayman Jack Cocktails. The move marks Mark Anthony's first major spirits-based RTD acquisition as its other brands are predominantly made with a malt base. In 2024, The Finnish Long Drink sold 2.6 million nine-litre cases, after surpassing the million-case mark two years earlier. Finnish Long Drink was founded in 2018 by Mikael Taipale, Ere Manner, Sakari Manninen and American Evan Burns. The group shared the aim of bringing Finland’s national drink to the US, which in Finland, references a ‘long drink’ made from gin and – most commonly – grapefruit soda. The brand's backstory nods to the long drink's creation by Finland's government for the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics. Taipale said: “Long drinks have been around in Finland for generations. When we set out to launch The Finnish Long Drink, we wanted to create a brand rich with tradition for generations to come.” Burns added: "We’ve got an incredible fanbase and team that has propelled The Finnish Long Drink to be one of the breakout RTD brands, but many consumers are still yet to try it. “Joining the Mark Anthony Group to leverage their track record of scaling iconic RTD brands gives us a huge opportunity to accelerate growth and introduce Long Drink to a much broader audience.” The brand’s range includes Traditional, Zero, Strong, Cranberry, Pineapple and Peach expressions. It has attracted a number of celebrity endorsements in the time since launching, including professional golfers Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas, DJ Kygo and actor Nina Dobrev. Whiplash actor Teller, who is a co-owner, commented: "I first came across Long Drink as a fan – it felt different from anything else out there." He described Mark Anthony as the "right partner to introduce the brand to even more people without losing what made people enjoy it in the first place". The Finnish Long Drink was the 10th fastest-growing spirits brand in the world in 2024, according to data from The Brand Champions 2025 report. In January 2023, at the time when Teller increased his stake in the brand, it was distributed in 43 US markets and stood as the fourth most-popular RTD brand in the country. In recent months, other RTD acquisitions have seen Sazerac pick up Dirty Shirley and Molson Coors agree to buy the company behind Monaco Cocktails.
The Spirits Business
