Wimbledon sipping: strawberries, fizz and long drinks made for an afternoon.

Strawberries and cream have been part of Wimbledon tradition since the early Championships, and the pairing gives us a useful flavour starting point rather than just a visual one.

Fresh berries want acidity and lift: sparkling wine, rosé, iced tea and lightly bitter long drinks all work better than heavy sweetness.

A tennis match has no interest in your drinks schedule. Long serves, spritzes, lager, iced tea and lemonade make more sense over several hours than repeated strong cocktails.

The fifth set is a poor moment to discover that the first set contained three Martinis.

Fruit, herbs, cucumber, citrus and a long mixer create refreshing drinks with enough flavour for an outdoor afternoon. The balance should stay fresh and gently bitter rather than become alcoholic fruit salad.

Alcohol-free versions work particularly well because the structure already depends on dilution, fruit, herbs and carbonation.

Sandwiches, salads, smoked salmon, strawberries and pastries ask for freshness rather than power. Dry rosé, sparkling wine, crisp whites and light beer are all forgiving choices.

Green tea and jasmine tea can also be surprisingly good with cucumber, smoked fish and lighter savoury food.

Wimbledon has plenty of food-and-drink rituals, but the useful question is why a combination works rather than simply recommending it because someone has been doing it since before colour television.

Fortunately, strawberries, cream and bubbles require very little historical assistance.