Totally agree about the water (although most recommendations seem to be 1:1 water to alcohol ratio, so 2 cubes would probably be a bit much IMHO)
BUT ice chills the drink and reduces the amount of vapour from the compounds you've just released......
C
True. I thought as I was writing that, that I had it wrong. They recommend plain water. Depending on where you live. No sleep again last night and by the time I wrote that, I was lethargic to say the least.
I appreciate the correction.
I would suggest that adding ice is more for the aesthetics. I know I like to hear the tinkle of ice in a glass.
Like the tinkle of a crystal chandelier when a draft catches it.
As to the ratio. You're right again. I was being a bit careless and thinking of my own past habits of
only ordering large ones and then putting in as little water or ice as possible. The phrase, 'don't drown it' was
heard a lot here, during my formative years.
You have more serious problems with spirits, in that your measures were traditionally a sixth of a gill in England and a fifth of a gill in Scotland. I'll ignore Wales, as usual.
Whereas in Northern Ireland and coincidently also in the Republic, a measure was a quarter of a gill.
Any time I was over in GB, while there was much more choice in beers. Spirits measures seemed tiny, by comparison with 'back home'.
Apologies again for being careless. Bad form to talk out of one's hat and all that.