what are the small bottles of alcohol called

[McReid]

Ah, the tiny titans of the liquor world! You're wondering about those adorable, pocket-sized bottles of liquid courage. While their most formal and sophisticated title is "miniatures," they go by a whole host of more colorful names, depending on who you ask and where you are.

They are perhaps most famously known as "airline bottles" or "airplane bottles," because for many, their natural habitat is a tray table at 30,000 feet. You might also hear them called "nips," a snappy little term for a quick sip. In other circles, they're known as "shooters" or "minis," which gets straight to the point of their single-serving purpose. For the particularly pragmatic folks, they're sometimes just called "50s," a nod to their typical 50 ml volume.

So, whether you see them as a sophisticated miniature, a convenient nip, or an in-flight necessity, you're talking about the same thing: a single shot of a spirit, perfectly packaged to go.