Pinches small quantities of spirits (4)
I believe the answer is:
nips
I believe this clue is a double definition.
'pinches' is the first definition.
(I know this)
'small quantities of spirits' is the second definition.
(nip can mean a small amount of alcoholic spirits)
(Other definitions for nips that I've seen before include "Squeezes tightly between the fingers" , "Pinches in a spin" , "Pinches - in the bud?" , "Steals" , "Pinches as crab does" .)