Boffins have finally put their minds to good use, and answered an age-old question- what makes the perfect pint? The result was the following formula, created to figure out just what you need to make your tipples the tops:

E = - (0.62T² + 39.2W² + 62.4P²) + (21.8T + 184.4W + 395.4P + 94.5M – 90.25V) + 50(S + F + 6.4)

Scientists translated all perfect pint essentials such as the number of people present, the volume of the music, and the person’s mood into a not-so-simple calculation.

The equation also takes into account the availability of snacks, the ambient room temperature, and the number of days until you are required back at work.

Researchers calculated that the higher the final score for ‘E’, the greater the enjoyment of the pint will be.

"In this formula E equals the amount of enjoyment you get from the pint," Dr David Lewis, who calculated the formula at Mindlab on behalf of UK pub chain Taylor Walker, said.

“So if you perform this calculation ‘E’ will give you a figure for the amount of enjoyment you’re going to experience when drinking that perfect pint.”

The initials in the equation stand for the following:

E = factor describing overall enjoyment
T = the ambient temperature in degrees Celsius
W = the number of days until you are required back at work
P = the number of people with whom you are drinking
M = related to your mood whilst drinking the pint
V = related to the volume of the music being played
S and F are related to the availability of snacks and food.

The research team polled 1000 volunteers and asked them about the conditions they preferred when drinking their pint.

Those results were then subject to a complex calculation by mathematicians and physicists in order to concoct the perfect formula.