I went to bed early last night after an emotional day and a few stiff gins and tonic
. A very topical thing to do by the way the conversation here went!
Joe - you get bonus points for drinking Bombay Sapphire - that's the one for real gin drinkers and it's what I use. The bottle lives permanently in the freezer as any hint of tepidity will ruin the crispness! As Del says, the tonic must be Schweppes and none of your diet stuff. Nothing else will do. I seem to remember that in the US it used to be referred to simply as 'Schweppes' as they didn't market any other products over there. The tonic is naturally kept in the fridge - along with the drinking glasses so they have a good frosting. A twist of lime is my preferred garnish as a slice gets up your nose! And you'll need a fancy swizzle stick to keep swirling those ice cubes round. Get an old airline one off eBay.
As the ice melts the drink becomes watered down so you'll need to 'refresh' it when you get about half way. The panama hat and linen jacket are preferable but optional - as is a red carnation in the buttonhole. I have actually got those items of clothing in my wardrobe but only wear them to garden parties. To which I no longer get invited as people think I'm a wanker but now that I'm Royalty I'm expecting a flood of invitations.
As a variation, add a dash of angostura bitters for a pink gin and tonic. Or if you're really serious you could try the British Navy classic drink of pink gin. This is a cocktail glass of very chilled Plymouth (sweet) gin with a dash of angostura bitters. No ice so the gin should be shaken (not stirred!) in a cocktail shaker and served in a cold glass. Two is probably too many!
Remember that I was trained in cocktail mixing and serving by BOAC! The drinking bit was self-taught
Ian
Maybe it's not a US thing 
