Million-Case RTD Player The Long Drink Sees Further Upside Ahead
June 27, 2023Following a year of monumental growth that took it to 1 million cases in the U.S., spirits-based RTD The Long Drink continues to see rapid gains. After more than doubling in size last year, president and chief sales officer Rudy Costello tells SND the brand is seeing similar growth in 2023 as it expands its audience and brings the gin-and-citrus cocktail to new occasions. “We grew 125% last year,” Costello notes. “We blew past a million cases. We expanded nationally and are in 45 states now. It was a combination of velocity plus expanded distribution. Our velocity remains strong.”
Costello says The Long Drink’s top markets are regularly shifting as it sees broadly consistent national growth across the country. The brand currently offers four SKUs—the original Traditional (5.5% abv), Cranberry (5.5% abv), Zero (5% abv, with zero carbs or sugar), and Strong (8.5% abv). This year the company launched their first limited edition offering, a peach-flavored Long Drink available only in the brand’s variety pack. The Long Drink retails at around $14 a six-pack of 12-ounce cans, depending on the market.
“Even some of our earliest markets that we launched four years ago are still growing 50% to 100%, depending on the market,” says Costello. “We expect similar growth to what we put up last year. What I can tell you is we’re pleased with the results so far this year, and we’re definitely on track for that. We just had our biggest month ever in May. And we’ll top that in June.”
To further expand its audience, The Long Drink is using marketing plays like its “Drinks On…” program, featuring one of the brand’s celebrity investors, which include the actor Miles Teller, golfer Rickie Fowler, and DJ Kygo. As the name suggests, the program allows consumers to purchase a Long Drink at a bar or event, take a photo of their receipt, and be reimbursed by the company.
Additionally, the company has expanded its partnerships in the world of professional golf with Pantsdrunk, a program pairing The Long Drink with golfer Joel Dahmen. The social media-focused campaign honors the Finnish tradition of drinking without wearing pants, with the Long Drink donating $10 to the Dahmen Family Foundation for every qualifying post. Since its kickoff at the end of May, the company has donated over $30,000 and gained over 20 million impressions from posts.
Looking ahead, Costello sees ample growth opportunity among younger legal drinking age consumers, with a particular emphasis on tailgating and outdoor fall activities. “First, we have the highest net promoter score in alcohol—91% of people who drink Long Drink actively recommend our brand to friends compared to an average promoter score of 43%,” he said. “Secondly, despite our expansion in 2023, the distribution upside in the U.S. alone is immense, and there’s a lot of high-volume channels where we don’t currently participate. That’s going to create more opportunities to introduce our brand to more drinkers.”
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