The Mark Anthony Group of Companies, Chicago, announced the acquisition of The Finnish Long Drink to accelerate growth and expand availability of the fast-rising ready-to-drink brand across North America.

“Our focus has always been on building and scaling brands that stand out in their category and resonate with consumers,” said Phil Rosse, CEO, The Mark Anthony Group of Companies, in a statement. “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.”

Long Drink has quickly emerged as one of the most talked-about brands in the ready-to-drink space, building a passionate following and rapid momentum since its U.S. launch.

Founded by Finnish entrepreneurs, Mikael Taipale, Ere Manner, Sakari Manninen and American Evan Burns, The Finnish Long Drink leverages a rich heritage dating back to the “long drinks” creation by the government for the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics. Over the past 70 years long drinks became one of the most beloved and popular beverages in Finland, but it wasn’t until 2018 when the next generation of Finns brought the drink to America, the company shares.

“Long drinks have been around in Finland for generations,” said Taipale, co-founder and CFO of The Finnish Long Drink. “When we set out to launch The Finnish Long Drink, we wanted to create a brand rich with tradition for generations to come.”

Burns, co-founder and CEO of The Finnish Long Drink, 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 of Companies 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.”

In a few short years Long Drink has attracted a roster of super fans, including co-owner and actor Miles Teller.

“I first came across Long Drink as a fan — it felt different from anything else out there,” Teller stated. “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.”

The Mark Anthony Group of Companies already has supported Long Drink’s expansion in Canada as its exclusive distributor, helping establish the brand as one of the fastest-growing ready-to-drink offerings in the market. Now Mark Anthony Group can further build on that success and position the brand for its next phase of growth across North America.