Until Finland joined the European Union in 1995, the production of long drink was strictly controlled by the government.

After joining the EU the government was no longer allowed to control the production, and this led to the birth of several long drink brands by different companies.

The same composition can be achieved by diluting a 10% cider into 5% with water and gin and grapefruit flavors, and the 5.5% product can be sold in grocery stores.

Long drinks in the Finnish style have been commercially produced and marketed in other nations, including the United States,[6] China,[7] Japan, and Taiwan.

As the drink is also popular in Estonia, the Finnish name has been adopted into colloquial Estonian language as longero.