Tasting alcohol can become a very expensive pastime; even a small bottle can run up quite the bill. These days, especially, prices are climbing. For example the last bottle of rum I bought used to cost me $20 USD, it boasted a $42 USD price tag recently.

Rare or high end liquors can eat up your paycheck. There is also the worry that you’ll spend this week’s grocery money on a bottle of Taj Mahal Peacock Feather Liqueur because you read about it in a magazine, take one sip and instantly hate it. What the adventurous taster needs is a way to sample new flavors without breaking the bank.

Whether you’re searching for new base alcohols or liqueurs, the small 50ml size, also known as the nip is a godsend to the taster. You can purchase this small amount for a pittance, normally not much more than a dollar, and there is sufficient liquid to provide you with a good tasting experience and even allow you to mix an experimental cocktail.

During your learning phase rely on these ‘tasting size’ bottles to not break the bank or be saddled with a large volume of an alcohol you just cannot stand. It’s also a great way to sample new alcohols you haven’t encountered before.

Nips also make for a perfect travel bar in a suitcase. You can carry an entire bar of alcoholic ingredients and only have to lug around a couple pounds rather than a hand truck overflowing with full size bottles.

Admittedly not every alcohol can be found in the 50ml size but many can. Search on the internet for sample size and you’ll be surprised at the number of companies that offer sample sizes of their products. Even if that special alcohol you want to taste isn’t in the small size, the money you’ve saved by sampling other alcohols this way can be used to purchase a regular sized bottle.