Sip a G&T to sort out your hay fever symptoms

Hay fever season is upon us but instead of stockpiling on antihistamines call your buddies round for a G&T sundowner to stop the sniffles and boost your spirits.

According to recent reports, gin and tonic could provide relief for hay fever sufferers.

Clear spirits like gin contain less histamine - the stuff that causes all the sniffing and itching - than darker options like beer and red wine.

This means that sticking to a G&T during your boozy lunch is less likely to set off a bout of sneezing and congestion - but don't fill your medicine cabinet with Inverroche just yet. Doctors aren't queuing up to rubber-stamp the remedy. They're saying it's not so much a cure as a mitigating option.

One thing's for sure, G&Ts are a great social lubricant and their powers as such will be on display at Ginapalooza next month. Accompanying the impressive variety of gin will be gourmet food and live music.

• Ginapalooza takes place on September 23, with tickets available now. 

 • This article was originally published in The Times.