A miniature is a small bottle of a spirit, liqueur or other alcoholic beverage. Their contents, typically 50 ml, are intended to comprise an individual serving (one shot of liquor in the U.S. is 44 ml).
Miniatures may be used as gifts, samples, or for promotional purposes. In Scotland and the Northeastern United States they are often known as nips, short for nipperkin (one-eighth of a pint of beer or any other liquor). The name has been also used as inspiration for drinking dens and bars around England, with the most notable being The Nipperkin in Mayfair, London. In New England, miniature bottles of alcohol are often referred to as ‘nips.’
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The Daily Omnivore 