Tiny Cocktails, and More of Them

So many cocktails, so little time.

“There’s one unfortunate hurdle that we all face while drinking cocktails: the human body’s inability to handle the volume of liquid and alcohol that an unquenchable thirst for flavor demands. The solution to this first world problem? Tiny cocktails,” writes Tyler Zielinski in the introduction to his book Tiny Cocktails: The Art of Miniature Mixology (February 25, 2025, Clarkson Potter)

That’s one solution, anyway. When you love mixed drinks and mixing with people out at the bars, it is important to find ways to pace yourself, lest you overdo the booze. Some people choose to drink lower-ABV cocktails like spritzes and highballs. Others practice “zebra striping,” alternating alcoholic and nonalcoholic cocktails.

I prefer to try a little bit of a lot of full-strength cocktails, using a divide-and-conquer strategy. Everybody in the group orders different drinks, and we share sips to sample as many as we can. This only works when out with a group of people who share the same mindset, of course, and hopefully nobody has a cold.

Sometimes, when we’re lucky, the bartender will buy us a cocktail, made in the shaker but distributed as a tiny cocktail in individual shot glasses. In recent years, the Snaquiri has become a go-to drink in these situations. It is just a Daiquiri split into shot-sized servings and often shared with the person who shook it, and it is one of the drinks that inspired Zielinski’s book.

The 3 Kinds of Tiny Cocktails

In Tiny Cocktails, Zielinski divides the drinks into categories. The first section of amuse bouche cocktails should not be confused with aperitif cocktails, as these are not (for the most part) bittersweet sparkling wine drinks. They are regular cocktails, mostly with citrus ingredients, and include takes on the Daiquiri, Garibaldi, Gold Rush, and more.

The next section, Nightcaps, features more deeply flavored and spirit-forward drinks to be served near the end of the meal (or meal’s worth of other cocktails). They include cocktails with aged and smoky spirits, richer flavors like PX Sherry, and dessert flavors like banana or chocolate. Several have cream or coffee.

The third and final section of Tiny Cocktails is called Little Luxuries, and they are cocktails made with fine spirits or labor-intensive cordials and infusions that the author says are deserving of their quality and preciousness. They are special little treats for yourself or your guests.

Overall, the recipes look tasty and thoughtful, and Zielinski’s modifications to modern classics are explained thoughtfully. He adds saline solution to the Shakerato, coconut oil-washed Campari to the Garibaldi, and champagne to the Piña Colada. There are also plenty of drinks by famous international bartenders including Ryan Chetiyawardana, Christine Wiseman, Agostino Perrone, and others.

For Whom the Tiny Cocktail Tolls

The recipes included in the book are sized for small drinks. The Daiquiri has only 1 ¾ ounces of liquid ingredients before its shaken; others max out at three ounces. This is a great size at a bar, split between people. However, this is a book for the home cocktail maker, and each half-sized drink takes as much effort to mix up as a full-sized one.

If the home mixologist wants the experience of tasting lots of tiny cocktails, they need to make lots of different drinks, so no effort is saved there. And if they want to provide tiny drinks for their houseguests, they’ll need to scale up the recipes to serve the number of people present.

I think the recipes look worth a try no matter the final drink size. So, most likely when I make them from the book, I’ll shake up one of these tiny cocktails but make it a double.

Naked & Infamous

Recipe reprinted by permission from Tiny Cocktails

This twist on New York City bartender Joaquín Simó’s Naked & Famous stays true to the classic formula, with just two main adjustments. The first is Hibiscus-Infused Mezcal instead of standard mezcal, and the second is Bénédictine to replace the Yellow Chartreuse. The latter is, for all intents and purposes, a like-for-like swap—I just dial back the volume as Bénédictine is a touch sweeter than Yellow Chartreuse. The infused mezcal adds tannins to the cocktail, which helps maintain its structure and balance, and it deepens the drink’s reddish-pink hue, adding to its visual appeal. For agave spirit lovers, this is one hell of a welcome drink, and a relatively straight forward one to whip up, at that.

½ ounce Aperol

½ ounce lime juice

¼ ounce Bénédictine

½ ounce hibiscus-infused mezcal

Garnish: lime twist

Hibiscus -infused mezcal

Combine the Aperol, lime juice, Bénédictine, and Hibiscus-Infused Mezcal in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled tiny coupe and garnish with the lime twist.

Makes 8 ounces

2 Tablespoons OR 2 grams of dried hibiscus flowers

8 ounces mezcal

Combine the mezcal and hibiscus flowers in a jar or container and let it sit for 1 hour at room temperature. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth to remove the solids and transfer to a clean bottle. Store, tightly sealed, at room temperature, or in the refrigerator, for up to 3 months.

Cocktails, ReviewCamper EnglishFebruary 21, 2025Comment