62: Brand First, Pumpkin Spice Never: Evan Burns on Building The Finnish Long Drink to 2.7M Cases - Business of Drinks

In just five years, The Finnish Long Drink has grown from a quirky imported concept to one of the fastest-scaling RTD brands in the U.S.—crossing 2.7 million 9L cases in 2024, up from just 33,000 cases in 2019.

In this episode, Evan Burns, co-founder and CEO, shares the story of how he and three Finnish co-founders turned a legacy Finnish beverage — originally invented for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics — into a U.S. juggernaut. 

With 52,000 retail doors across 46 states, investors like Jay-Z’s Marcy Ventures, and a growing fanbase that spans demographics, Long Drink has become one of the biggest breakout hits in spirits-based RTDs.

In this episode, Evan shares:

• How The Finnish Long Drink grew 50%+ year-over-year through focused execution and simple, consistent branding

• Why “availability and awareness” are the two metrics that drive every business decision — and how the team measures cold box placement, displays, and social tags daily

• Why Long Drink keeps it SKU set small — and why Evan believes "flavor isn’t innovation"

• The origin and impact of viral marketing moments — like the #PantsDrunk campaign during COVID and $5 Venmo bar activations

• How organic celebrity interest from actor Miles Teller, DJ Kygo, and golfer Ricky Fowler led to authentic, long-term brand ambassadorship

• Why Long Drink turned down multiple VC offers and focused on velocity-driven growth with strategic capital partners

• How the team grew to 110 employees, prioritizing on-the-ground brand ambassadors and salespeople over corporate hires

• The real reason Evan says they’ll never make a pumpkin spice Long Drink

Last Call: 

This week, we explore the overlooked (and often underestimated) world of fruit wines — and why smart wineries should be paying close attention. States like Michigan, New York, Virginia, and North Carolina are growing incredible fruit beyond grapes, and making some pretty compelling fruit wines. Should they lean into it? We discuss.

Don’t miss our next episode, dropping on May 7.

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Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.

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Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. He currently serves as Head of Search at Distill Ventures. He was formerly the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.

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Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.