What's your perfect pint? (Picture: shekhardesign/Getty)
What’s your perfect pint? (Picture: shekhardesign/Getty)

What has a head of exactly nine millimetres and should be enjoyed at 5.30pm on a Saturday with your partner?

A pint, obviously.

British beer lovers have revealed what their ideal drinking experience entails in a new study commissioned by St. Austell Brewery’s Proper Job IPA, to mark Cask Ale Week.

According to those surveyed, the perfect pint should always be served in a proper pint glass and be accompanied by a bag of crisps (although the flavour of said crisps was not decided).

It is best savoured in a country pub while you’re having a good catch up with your other half – no mobile phones allowed – and should take precisely 28 minutes to finish.

The study of 2,000 Brits found that nearly half (43%) want to be on friendly terms with the bar staff in their local watering hole while 16% said they wanted to drink somewhere everyone knew their name.

Over 60% felt strongly that their pint should have a great taste, while 65% said that they needed something to munch on to make the pint truly perfect.

Classic pub snacks such as crisps and peanuts were among the top choices, as were more substantial meals including burgers and curries.

However, we don’t always get our perfect pint.

Nearly half of us don't know what 'responsible' drinking is getty
(Picture: Metro.co.uk)

Nearly a third (32%) of respondents said that the temperature of their pint is nearly always wrong.

Dirty glasses, loud music, high prices and pubs with poor selections of beer were among the other culprits for ruining beer lovers’ drinking experiences.

A Proper Job spokesperson said: ‘With our research we wanted to shine a light on what makes a perfect, proper pint.

‘At Proper Job we believe that everything should be proper, and for Cask Ale Week we wanted to find out what British beer aficionados say makes a proper pint.

‘Our research reveals that there are many important factors ranging from who you’re drinking it with, where you’re drinking it and at what time of the day.

‘Taste is key for the majority of beer lovers, and what you eat with your beer is also really important.

‘We hope this study will help Brits enjoy a proper pint during Cask Ale Week.’

Although 45% of those surveyed described he pint as part of the British national character, 22% say that it’s become more difficult to get a decent pint in the last decade.

With the explosion in craft breweries and the prevalence of more adventurous choices on the market, it should be easier rather than harder to find a beer that suits you.

From sours to saisons, there are plenty of exciting imported and home-brewed offerings, and pubs aren’t going to stop serving classic favourites like Carling and Guinness any time soon.

Roger Prot, editor of the Good Beer Guide, said: ‘In Britain, beer is so much more than just a drink.

‘It’s about the overall experience – good taste, ideally suited food pairings, served in proper pubs by landlords who are obsessed with beer quality and doing things the right way when it comes to the conditioning.

‘There are many things to consider when it comes to the essential ingredients of a perfect pint.

‘It’s reassuring to see that Brits are more passionate than ever about the doing things properly when it comes to enjoying beer.’

As anyone who grew up on shandy and salt-and-vinegar crisps will know, pub culture is as much a part of British identity as being able to queue like it’s a national sport.

Pubs are places to relax, play the quiz machine, pet the resident dog, talk utter rubbish with friends or sit quietly with your book.

Whether you’re a notoriously fast drinker or a painfully slow sipper, when you come across that perfect pint, remember to savour it.

After all, we now know that 28 minutes is the optimum pint-drinking time.

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