Traditional Finnish Drinks: From Coffee to Salmiakki Shots

From everyday brews to distinctive licorice-infused spirits, traditional Finnish drinks reflect the country’s climate, customs, and love for simple but memorable flavors. In this article, we’ll explore the most iconic Finnish beverages, from morning coffee to late‑night salmiakki, and what makes them so uniquely Finnish.
Last updated: 02.02.2026

When people picture Finland, they often imagine shimmering lakes, Nordic forests, and nights lit by the midnight sun. But there’s another part of Finnish culture that deserves just as much attention — the deep love for finnish drinks that range from strong spirits to comforting home brews and hearty coffee. In the North, every bottle, cup, and glass tells a story about heritage, nature, and the Finnish soul. From creamy piimä to the bittersweet Salmiakki shot, these beverages have been enjoyed across generations — whether brewed at home, shared in cozy bars, or made from high quality ingredients grown under that magical Arctic sun.

The National Obsession: Coffee That Defines a Culture

Let’s start with what is arguably the most popular drink in Finland — coffee. It’s impossible to exaggerate the role this drink plays in daily life, with Finns among the world’s highest coffee consumers. Most people drink several cups of light‑roasted filter coffee each day, so “kahvitauko” (coffee break) is treated almost like a small daily ritual. At home or in restaurants, coffee is often served with a slice of pulla, a soft, cardamom‑flavoured pastry that complements its smooth, mild taste. The flavour is rich yet gentle, reflecting Finland’s preference for purity, balance, and good water in the brew. If you ever get invited to a Finnish home, saying yes to coffee is more than accepting a drink — it’s a quiet way of saying yes to connection and friendship. Coffee anchors everything from casual catch‑ups to formal visits, so it naturally appears at birthdays, name days, and even post‑sauna relaxation. In many homes, the day simply doesn’t feel like it has started properly until the first pot of coffee is brewed and shared.

Finland consistently ranks among the world’s top coffee‑consuming countries, with many Finns drinking several cups of light‑roasted filter coffee every day.

Finnish Cities Made for Traditional Drinks

Finland’s traditional drinks are easiest to explore by pairing its key cities with simple rail routes. Helsinki is your starting point for strong light‑roast coffee, salmiakki shots, and seasonal glögi, with countless cafés and bars clustered around the central station. From here, fast trains connect you to other drink hotspots: Helsinki–Tampere lets you swap the capital’s cocktail bars for Tampere’s more relaxed brewery and sauna‑bar culture, while the longer Helsinki–Rovaniemi route (around 720–880 km, 8–12 hours including popular night trains) carries you straight into Lapland for hot berry juices, winter warmers, and Arctic takes on classic Finnish drinks. For a slower progression north, you can ride Helsinki–Tampere first, sample local beers and cloudberry liqueurs, then continue Tampere–Rovaniemi to finish your trip with glögi under the northern sky. You can also break up the journey with overnight trains, turning long distances into cozy moving hotels where you wake up in a new drinks destination. Along the way, station cafés and onboard bistros give you even more chances to taste regional specialties without leaving the rails.

Finnish Long Drink: The Iconic Post-Olympic Creation

The Finnish long drink, known locally as Lonkero, is one of the country’s proudest inventions. Originally created for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, this cocktail combines gin and grapefruit soda, designed to serve thousands quickly — and stylishly. Its crisp, lightly sweet, and slightly bitter flavour made it an instant popular drink, evolving into a true cultural symbol. Modern variations of the long drink include apple, lemon, and even blueberry juice versions, balancing fresh fruit notes with that signature gin tang. Interestingly, the Finnish version of the long drink has even made waves beyond Finland, gaining global fame — helped in part by promotions from actor Miles Teller, who became associated with the long drink brand abroad. It’s served cold, in cans or tall glasses, often at summer festivals under the midnight sun. Whether you try it in a buzzing Helsinki bar or grab a chilled can from a small-town kiosk by the lake, Lonkero captures the easygoing, social side of Finnish drinking culture. For many locals, cracking open a long drink signals that the workday is over and the fun, relaxed part of the evening can finally begin.

4 cups

Average number of coffee cups a person in Finland drinks per day, making it one of the world’s heaviest coffee‑drinking nations
10 kg

Approximate amount of roasted coffee consumed per person each year in Finland, mostly as light‑roasted filter coffee
3 iconic drinks

Salmiakki liqueur, sahti, and lonkero are three uniquely Finnish beverages you’re unlikely to encounter anywhere else in quite the same way

Sima: The Golden Mead of Vappu Celebrations

Sima is a sparkling mead-like drink, traditionally brewed for May Day (Vappu). Made with water, sugar, lemon, and yeast, it gently ferments to create a sweet, fizzy mixture that’s enjoyed by adults and children alike. When the raisins float to the top, you know the mead is ready! This homemade delight has a low alcohol content — often below 1% ABV — and pairs wonderfully with food during festive picnics. Sima represents the long tradition of Finnish home brewing, using wild herbs and berries to enhance the floral aroma and provide a bright, fresh taste that echoes the arrival of spring. Large batches are often prepared in big glass jars or buckets, filling kitchens with a citrusy, yeasty scent in the days leading up to Vappu. Every family tends to have its own slightly different recipe, from sweeter children’s versions to more tart, adult‑leaning brews. You’ll commonly see sima served alongside Vappu favourites like funnel cakes (tippaleipä) and sugar‑dusted doughnuts (munkki), making it the centerpiece of many balcony and park celebrations. For many Finns, that first chilled glass of sima is the true signal that winter is finally over and spring has arrived.

Glögi: The Warmth of Finnish Winters

When temperatures drop and snow carpets the streets, Finns turn to Glögi, a winter drink that brings comfort to dark days. Unlike typical mulled wine, Finnish Glögi includes cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and carefully chosen spices blended with red wine, fruit juices, or even vodka for an added kick. It’s served warm, garnished with raisins and almonds, occasionally

enriched with liqueurs like berry or cloudberry liqueurs to deepen the flavor. Available across Finland during Christmas, it turns ordinary evenings into cozy, candle‑lit rituals. Sharing a steaming mug of Glögi after a sauna session or an evening walk is one of the simplest ways to experience Finnish hygge in a glass.

Traditional Finnish celebrations and winter gatherings often feature warm, spiced drinks like glögi (a mulled wine or juice), making hot beverages a key part of social life in the cold season.

Piimä and Traditional Finnish Dairy Drinks

Not all Finnish drinks are alcoholic, and some of the most authentic ones reflect the country’s deep farming roots and frugal food traditions. Piimä, a fermented milk drink, has a creamy texture and tangy flavour similar to kefir, made by fermenting low‑fat or skimmed milk with lactic acid bacteria. It’s naturally rich in probiotics and has long been valued as an everyday way to support digestion and overall wellbeing. Traditionally, Finns enjoy piimä alongside hearty dishes made from rye, barley, and malt, or as a simple accompaniment to bread, cheese, and potatoes. Whether served chilled after a hot sauna session, poured over fresh summer berries, or sipped from a glass at the kitchen table, this humble yet nourishing drink showcases Finland’s close connection to nature, seasonal ingredients, and no‑waste cooking. In many households, it’s also a clever way to use up surplus milk, turning a basic staple into something both practical and special. Quietly present in school canteens, farm kitchens, and modern cafés alike, piimä is a reminder that Finnish comfort doesn’t always come in a bottle or a mug of coffee.

The World of Finnish Beers, Ciders, and Spirits

Finland has a vibrant tradition of beer, cider, and spirits that mirror the country’s creative brewing heritage.

Sahti: A traditional beer made from malt, rye, barley, and juniper branches. It’s cloudy, slightly sweet, and brewed without hops, giving it a rustic charm. Its alcohol content usually averages around 7–9% ABV. Brewed for centuries on farms and at village gatherings, sahti often appears at weddings, midsummer celebrations, and other life milestones, making it as much a cultural symbol as a drink.
Kotikalja: The homemade “table beer,” mildly fermented with sugar and yeast, resulting in a light drink that’s nostalgic and comforting. Its low alcohol content makes it suitable for family meals and everyday refreshment, especially when served cold alongside traditional Finnish dishes.

Salmiakkikossu: A daring mix of vodka and salty licorice (salmiakki). It’s bittersweet, famous among locals, and truly unforgettable for visitors. Often passed around at parties or after sauna sessions, it tends to divide opinion sharply: people either love it or swear never to try it again.
Tervashotti: Another alcoholic cocktail combining vodka with tar-flavored candy, a mixture that surprises most first-timers with its smoky flavour. Inspired by the scent of pine forests and old wooden saunas, it captures a uniquely Finnish idea of wilderness in liquid form.
Craft beers: Modern breweries experiment with juniper, wild herbs, and even blueberries to create drinks that reflect both innovation and heritage. Taprooms in cities like Helsinki and Tampere often feature seasonal brews, encouraging visitors to taste how local ingredients and Nordic nature shape each glass. Whether sipped in a cosy bar, a lakeside cottage, or a bustling festival tent, these drinks tell stories of Finland’s past, present, and evolving tastes.

Juices, Wines, and Nordic Nature in a Glass

Finland’s berries and apples grow slow and sweet under the midnight sun, producing deeply flavored juices, ciders, and wines.

Apple juice and cider made from locally grown fruit are refreshing non-alcoholic options found in most households. Some brands even ferment their apple blends into lightly sparkling ciders.
Black currant and blueberry juice are often concentrated using a steam juicer (Mehu-Maija), then diluted before drinking. These beverages embody fresh forest berries in every spoon.

Black currant leaf wine and white wine made in small batches highlight the delicate flavour of leaves and blossoms rather than fruit.
And let’s not forget Pommac, the “children’s champagne,” a bubbly mixture of fruity essences aged in oak for that nostalgic caramel aroma.

Each mixture balances fruit sugar, natural acids, and occasionally mild spirits, achieving a smooth taste that captures Finnish craftsmanship — equal parts patience and purity.

The Finnish Drinking Spirit: Tradition Meets Modernity

What makes drinks in Finland special is not just variety but attitude. Whether served from a bottle of vodka, poured as beer, or shared as homemade mead, every drink is tied to community. You might find locals in bars debating the best cocktail, or families brewing their own festive batches of sima. Finnish drinks combine past and present with authenticity — Finnish long drink now has its own export lines around the world, while traditional beer festivals celebrate small-town masters and their creative mixtures. Amid changing trends, the Finnish wonder for simple, fresh flavours persists. Maybe that’s what makes Finland’s beverages unforgettable: they celebrate the land’s purity, its seasons, and the people’s quiet joy in a perfectly made drink. From city rooftop bars to lakeside cottages, every glass becomes an invitation to slow down, notice the moment, and share stories. And whether you raise a mug of hot Glögi, a bottle of craft beer, or a humble glass of piimä, you’re tasting a small but genuine piece of Finnish life.

Traditional Finnish drinks show how deeply beverages are woven into everyday life, celebrations, and even national identity. From the comforting ritual of strong coffee to the acquired punch of salmiakki shots, each drink reflects Finland’s climate, flavors, and social habits in its own way. If you’re curious about Finnish culture beyond saunas and northern lights, exploring these drinks—from homely brews to bold spirits—is one of the most enjoyable ways to taste what Finland is really about.