A toast to tiny
A tiny martini? A snack-sized daiquiri?
Sarah Miller explores the big trend of tiny cocktails...
Tiny cocktails are big news in the UK at the moment, but I still remember my first, back in 2017. Felix Cohen – the owner of my favourite (and now long since departed) local – had repurposed an ageing Jägermeister machine (designed to serve shots at -18°C) to make martinis on tap. And, to ensure they didn’t get a chance to warm up, Felix served his martinis in half-sized vintage glasses.
I should probably claim that I was drawn to the ‘MarTiny’ because I had two young children and had to be mindful of early morning wake-ups. But the truth is, the small serve looked super cute, cost just £5 a pop, and was the perfect size for me as I wasn’t much of a martini lover back then! I was soon converted though.
Felix may have been the first to add these diminutive drinks to his menu, but their origins trace back to the tradition of the “bartender’s handshake”: a shot offered by one bar professional to another as an unspoken token of acknowledgement. In a not dissimilar gesture of hospitality, many of the world’s best bars – such as Mayfair’s The Connaught – also welcome guests with small complimentary off-menu cocktails or liquid amuse-bouches to set the tone for the evening ahead.
Now, tiny cocktails are firmly on the menu in bars across the UK (and beyond) as they tap into the mindful drinking and cost of living trends of 2025, as well as our own human instincts to go gaga over anything small and cute (which triggers the release of our feel-good hormones dopamine and oxytocin).
“There’s a real opportunity here for bar owners to maximise their guest experience by offering a bigger selection of smaller serves, or even tiny flights.”
Of course the tiny ‘tini isn’t taking off just because it’s cute and Instagrammable. With the cost of living continuing to creep up, and smaller serves (usually) equating to smaller prices, consumers are embracing tiny cocktails as affordable and accessible moments of luxury.
Indeed, you might assume a drink at the fourth best bar in the world would come with a hefty price tag, but you can savour a superb One Sip Martini (garnished with a moreish blue cheese olive) at London’s Tayēr + Elementary for just £4. Be warned though, you may find you want more than one. In fact, that cocktail has developed such cult status that it even has its own merch line (but that will definitely cost you considerably more than the drink!).
As people increasingly prioritise healthy living and mindful drinking, mini drinks – which contain about half the alcohol and calories of a full-sized serve – are fast becoming the fashionable way to drink less too. And if you want the full experience without any of the booze, CLASS New Bar of the Year finalist Archive & Myth also offers a non-alc version of their “minor” (or half-size) espresso martini-like Ammazzacaffe.
But for those less concerned about moderation, mini drinks are also a great way to try a new cocktail without committing to a full-size serve, or simply to explore more of a menu. I know I want to try all of Manchester’s Blinker Bar’s smaller serves, which include a mini margarita, ‘snaquiri’ and tiny negroni.
There’s a real opportunity here for bar owners to maximise their guest experience by offering a bigger selection of smaller serves, or even tiny flights. When it comes to cocktails, less really could mean more!
Sarah Miller is a UK-based spirits writer, judge and consultant.
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