SCIENTISTS have got in the spirit and come up with the formula for the perfect gin and tonic.
They say it should be chilled to -18C and served with crescent-shaped ice.
Scientists say it should be chilled to -18C and served with crescent-shaped ice[/caption]
The tonic should be poured at 5C into a large, balloon-shaped Copa de Balon glass which has been chilled to -4C.
Boffins even worked out it should ideally be drunk on a day when the temperature is 21C and finished within 30 minutes, before too much of the ice has melted.
They advise never to drink it through a straw, stir it more than twice or serve it with a lime.
They suggest adding mango and a sprig of pine.
Read more on alcoholic drinks
Spirits firm Quintessential Brands enlisted food scientist Natalie Alibrandi to help work out the exacting formula.
She said: “A cold beverage numbs the taste buds and creates a smoother tasting alcohol rather than having a sharp bite at the aftertaste.”
Drinkers are advised not to scrimp on tonic — “the higher the quality, the better” — which should come in a can or glass bottle as plastic bottles lose their fizz.
Natalie added: “The optimal ice shape is crescent, which is much more solid so keeps its shape longer and melts slower. It’s more slender than rectangular ice cubes allowing for more ice in the glass.
Most read in Fabulous
