Gin · Explainer
Why do you put so much ice in a gin and tonic?
A glass full of ice cools your gin and tonic faster and dilutes it less than three loose cubes. Melting ice draws about 334 joules per gram from the liquid, and the cooler the glass already is, the less ice melts away afterwards. A little ice, on the other hand, melts away completely in a lukewarm glass and leaves only water. So fill the glass to above the liquid level.
In brief
The key figures
| Melting point of ice | 0 degrees Celsius |
|---|---|
| Heat needed to melt ice | About 334 joules per gram, in older units 80 calories |
| How ice cools | Only by melting; cooling and dilution go together |
| What determines the amount of ice | How cold the drink can ultimately get |
| What the surface of the ice determines | How quickly the drink gets cold |
| Carbonation in tonic | Gases dissolve less well as the liquid gets warmer |
| Minimum alcohol content of gin | 37.5% vol under Regulation (EU) 2019/787 |
| Age limit | NIX18: geen alcohol onder de 18 jaar, Alcoholwet artikel 20 |
Why does a full glass of ice dilute less than three cubes?
A full glass of ice brings the drink quickly down to temperature, after which only a little ice has to melt to keep it cold.
Ice cools only by melting. The amount of ice determines how cold the drink can ultimately get, the surface of the ice determines how fast that happens. Three cubes in a large glass have too little mass and melt away completely before the drink is really cold. The meltwater stays behind in the glass and the tonic goes flat.
How much heat does melting ice absorb?
To turn one gram of ice at zero degrees into one gram of water at zero degrees, about 334 joules are needed, in older units 80 calories.
That energy comes from the gin and tonic in the glass, and their temperature drops as a result. As long as there is ice in the glass, the mixture stays close to freezing point. Only when the last ice has gone does the temperature rise again, and the drink warms up further from the room and your hand.
Why does tonic keep fizzing longer in a cold glass?
Carbon dioxide dissolves better in a cold liquid than in a warm one, so a well-chilled glass holds the bubbles longer.
The solubility of gases in water decreases as the temperature rises. If you pour tonic into a lukewarm glass, the gas escapes faster and the drink goes flat within a few minutes. So pour over plenty of ice, along the side of the glass, and stir at most once briefly.
Which ice cubes work best in a gin and tonic?
Large, hard blocks with little surface area per gram melt more slowly than crushed ice and so keep the ratio between gin and tonic intact for longer.
Small pieces together have a larger surface area and so cool faster, but they also disappear faster. For a long drink you hold for half an hour, a few large blocks are more practical. Fill the glass to above the liquid level, so that no ice sticks out above the drink and melts in the warm air.
Does the alcohol percentage change because of all that ice?
The meltwater lowers the percentage in the glass, but not the amount of alcohol you drink; that is already in the gin you poured.
Under Regulation (EU) 2019/787, gin has at least 37.5% alcohol. What happens in the glass only changes the dilution and with it the taste experience: more water makes the drink rounder, less water keeps the botanicals in front. You do not serve alcohol to people under 18; that is not a house rule but the Alcoholwet.
From the shop in Bathmen
Which gins are there in Bathmen?
In the shop in Bathmen there are 296 gins from 96 different brands from 18 countries. Prices range from € 9.99 to € 159.99. The alcohol percentage ranges from 37.5% to 57.5%.
- Aviation American Gin Batch Distilled 42% · 70 cl · United States
- Battumse Gin 38% · 50 cl · Netherlands
- Beefeater 24 Gin 45% · 70 cl · England
- Beefeater Blood Orange 37.5% · 70 cl · England
- Beefeater Gin 40% · 70 cl · England
- Beefeater Gin 70cl + Glas EOY 40% · 70 cl · England
- Beefeater London Pink Gin 37.5% · 70 cl · England
- Ben Lomond Scottish Gin 43% · 70 cl · Scotland
- Berghorst Spiced Ginever 38% · 70 cl · Netherlands
- Bimber Da Hong Pao Roasted Oolong Tea Gin 51.8% · 50 cl · England
Related questions
What is barrel aged gin?What is compound gin?What is a gin basil smash?
Short answer
Short answers to related questions
- How much ice goes into a gin and tonic?
- Fill the glass to above the liquid level, so full of ice rather than three loose cubes.
- Should you stir a gin and tonic?
- One short stir is enough. Stirring longer drives the carbonation out of the tonic.
- Why does the ice melt so fast in my glass?
- There is too little ice in proportion to the liquid, or the glass and the tonic were not yet cold when you started.
- Why ice first and only then gin?
- This way the glass cools too, and less ice has to melt before the tonic goes in.
- Can you drink a gin and tonic without ice?
- That is possible, but then it quickly turns lukewarm and the tonic loses its fizz.
The reasoning
Sources
- Ice, science of its use, The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails (accessed 2026-09-06)
- Dilution, The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails (accessed 2026-09-06)
- Solutions of Gases in Water, Chemistry LibreTexts, University of British Columbia (accessed 2026-09-06)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787, Annex I, consolidated text, EUR-Lex, Publications Office of the European Union (accessed 2026-09-06)
- Alcoholwet, article 20, Overheid.nl, wetten.overheid.nl (accessed 2026-09-06)
This page was written and checked by ’t Bockje Bathmen, wine and spirits shop at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Last updated on 7 September 2026.
Verkoop van alcohol onder de 18 jaar is verboden. NIX18.