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Bars and eateries are adapting to the Ozempic era by offering mini cocktails.
“Mini martinis” as small as 1.5 ounces and flights of “baby negronis” that let you sample different flavors are on a growing number of menus throughout the city and beyond as American waistlines and alcohol consumption continue to shrink.
“GLP-1s are taking a bite out of people’s appetites and alcohol consumption habits are changing, too,” said Clinton Hall owner Aristotle “Telly” Hatzigeorgiou, referring to weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.
“Americans are also feeling the pinch with tax time being around the corner,” he told Side Dish.
“We launched our ‘teeny-weeny mini meal’ paired with a mini drink to lessen food waste and provide an affordable $8 alternative to our regular-sized menu items.”
At Lele’s Roman in Brooklyn’s Ace Hotel — where chef Francesco Battistia has put together a menu inspired by Rome’s trendy Trastevere neighborhood — a baby negroni makes a star appearance on their aperitivo menu for $5 at happy hour.
The restaurant also offers a baby negroni series, a trio of 2.5-oz. pours that lets diners sample different variations: classic (Tanqueray, bitters and sweet vermouth), the bianco (Hendrick’s, Italicus and Lillet Blanc) and the robusto (Pedro Ximénez sherry and Luxardo Bitter Rosso). The flight is offered for $22, with a single dose going for $9 outside of happy hour.
“Smaller serves allow people to try multiple flavors in one evening, similar to a tasting menu, making the experience more social and exploratory,” said Giacomo Ellena, director of bar operations for LDV Hospitality, which owns Lele’s Roman.
Mini cocktails can actually be lucrative, too, he said.
They “encourage guests to order more rounds and experiment with different options, often increasing overall spending while keeping the experience light and approachable,” Ellena added.
Mini cocktails have also caught on at Raf’s in NoHo. The eatery from the Musket Room’s Jennifer Vitagliano, her twin sister Nicole and chef Mary Attea offers $10, 1.5-oz. martinis known as cheekies throughout service.
“A round of cheekies is a perfect way to close out an evening, or to start your experience if you don’t feel like downing an entire martini before dinner,” said Jennifer Vitagliano.
Decades after the demise of the three-martini lunch, the Dynamo Room — a steakhouse and oyster bar next to Madison Square Garden — now offers mini versions of its house martinis. The small versions of their Gibson, Dirty Martini, Vesper and Cosmopolitan cost up to $12.95.
Ophelia, the rooftop lounge at the historic Beekman Tower in Midtown, also has a new “omacocktail” tasting experience. The 90-minute, progressive tasting features seven small cocktails paired with four “single bite” dishes like a gilded caviar bump and a tuna tartare spoon. Pricing is $100 per person on Thursdays and Sundays and $125 per person on Fridays and Saturdays.
The Time Out Market in Union Square offers mini martinis on Tuesdays – 3-oz. drinks for $10 each.
“Mini cocktails capture the way people want to go out right now,” said marketing manager Jessica Bendig.
“Guests still crave the ritual of a beautiful drink and the creativity of a great cocktail program, but they’re also looking for flexibility … Smaller cocktails invite a little more curiosity and play.”
In a place like Time Out Market, which is all about “discovery as part of the fun,” Bendig added, “mini cocktails turn the bar into a tasting experience rather than just a single order.”
Aussie favorite Isla & Co., which just opened outposts in Williamsburg and the Lower East Side, offers a mini espresso martini flight in 3-oz. glasses.
“It’s not about drinking less. It’s about experiencing more,” said Tom Rowse of Parched Hospitality, which runs the establishment.
“The whole concept was born from wanting guests to go beyond a single cocktail and taste three distinct expressions of our classic espresso martini, each with its own personality and flavor journey.”
Finally, BarChef owner Frankie Solarik, a judge on Netflix’s “Drink Masters,” has also been known to surprise guests with 1.5- to 2-oz. cocktails served in unique ways. Those include the Spherified Aviation made with gin, maraschino and violette liqueurs, lemon juice and grapefruit aromatics, all delivered on a spoon and costing just $6.
That compares to regular-size cocktails that start around $26, costing up to nearly $100.
“I believe the mini cocktail trend is based around controlled moderation,” Solarik said. “It also gives the guests the option of trying different cocktails while not committing to full servings.”
We hear… For those celebrating International Women’s Day this Sunday, Aperitivo by Carta in the West Village is a newly opened, women-owned café, wine bar and restaurant.
Each week in March, the establishment will feature a wine from a vineyard that is owned and/or produced by notable women in the industry, selected by wine director Rebecca Powelson.
On Tuesday, March 24, Executive Chef Silvia Garcia-Nevado will lead a class featuring the wines, including Ragotiere, a 2023 Muscadet Sur Lie Black Label, from Amélie Dugué-Couillaud, who’s part of the seventh generation of her family to run Château de la Ragotière, a historic estate in the Loire Valley that dates back to the 14th century. The tasting will be accompanied by light bites for $75 per person.
