The Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Martini Sweeping Atlanta
The cocktail has shrunk in the past few years as the “mini martini” takes its place in menus around the city. The pint-sized version that wouldn’t look out of place in the hand of an American Girl doll allows imbibers to be more conscious of their wallets and livers while still enjoying the drink.
“For about a month we were sitting on all these tiny martini glasses. And I don’t know how it started, but eventually, we were just like, ‘We need to put our martini in these tiny glasses,’”
This national trend is applied to several cocktails like the gimlet, Manhattan, or “snaiquiri” — a tiny Daiquiri meant to be taken as a shot. In Atlanta, there are plenty of places to get a mini fix: you can find the Tiny Negroni at no. 246 in Decatur and the mini margarita (or “Little Larry”) at Hopdoddy Burger Bar’s three Atlanta locations, among others.
The mini martini seems to be the most popular choice, found at places like New York’s Maison Pickle, which hosts a Mini Martini Hour on weekdays, the Den at Frannie and the Fox in Charleston, with Teeny Tini Tuesdays every Tuesday, and during steakhouse night at Colleagues and Lovers in Savannah. The mini moniker can range from around one and a half ounces to just under three. Here are Atlanta bars and restaurants offering the teenie weenie drinks.
Atrium
The Ponce City Market bar, Atrium, hosts a twice-weekly Tini Martini Hour, where guests can enjoy smaller versions of the menu’s martinis for $9. Offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m., enjoy one of seven varieties, from the classic Vesper to espresso martinis to the Green Goose, made with Grey Goose and green chile vodka with cucumber and lime.
Talat Market
The menu at Summerhill’s Talat Market changes seasonally, but the $7 Mini-Tini is a staple. Beverage director Carter Culwell added them to the menu in 2024 after an oyster and martini happy hour promotion led to an abundance of tiny martini glasses.
“For about a month we were sitting on all these tiny martini glasses. And I don’t know how it started, but eventually, we were just like, ‘We need to put our martini in these tiny glasses,’” he says.
The freezer-batched super-chilled martinis are 2 ounces and have become one of the most popular menu items at the bar. The martini is made with Ford’s gin, Contratto Bianco vermouth, Dampfwerk Distilling’s pear eau de vie brandy, and Rainwater Madeira.
“We kind of had a trending comeback [with martinis]. But the small format is way more accessible, and in a restaurant setting where you’re having dinner and you’re probably going to be ordering wine and drinking wine with food, it’s a good way to start without over-boozing it up with a full-size martini,” says Culwell.
Tiger Sun
Tucked in a bus behind Muchacho, Tiger Sun is an omakase cocktail bar with only 18 seats and a four-course cocktail-tasting menu. Taking inspiration from 80s and 90s movies, the offerings change regularly, including the current lineup, called “Banzai!,” with a lychee martini of sorts incorporating plum wine and yuzu.
Boqueria
The newest addition to Colony Square (opened January 21) is the Spanish-style tapas bar, Boqueria. The social hour menu, held daily from 3 to 6 p.m. and weekends from 9 p.m. to close, includes miniature martinis including classic, dirty, and espresso versions. Pair with the menu’s mini hamburguesas (hamburgers) topped in manchego and bacon jam for the full “honey, I shrunk the happy hour” experience.
C. Ellet’s Steakhouse
The steakhouse at The Battery gives Rat Pack vibes but we don’t all have the capacity for decadence like Ol’ Blue Eyes. The Teeny Tini at C. Ellet’s is on the dinner menu and available daily, made with Ford’s Gin in 1.5 ounces in a Nick and Nora glass. Pair with oysters on the half shell with the tangy mignonette to highlight the citrus notes.
Little Sparrow
The Westside “friterie” Little Sparrow has its French-inspired version, dubbed “Le Petit Martini,” which is available on the dinner menu for $10 and is right around three ounces.
“One of the main pieces of wanting to have what we think of platonic ideal of a martini was ensuring that it would allow for it to be a bit of a first act into the rest of the meal,” Eduardo Porto Carreiro, vice president of beverage for Rocket Farm Restaurants.
“Instead of having a stirred or shaken martini, the petite martini is neither. It’s actually diluted with mineral water and brought down to temperature in a freezer so that it can be ice-cold and be served in a charming little glass that’s also ice-cold.”
Little Sparrow has both gin and vodka varieties, both made with two varieties of the spirit and Acqua Panna for the dilution. The gin martini uses Gordon’s and Forthave’s Blue, while the vodka martini incorporates Fris and Good.
