What do you use to make a proper TWIST for cocktails?

Perhaps this should be moved to the Beer and Spirits forum, but I thought I’d start here for hopes of more responses. I am awful at making a nice twist of citrus rind for cocktails. It’s very likely largely due to technique. However, I also am attempting to make the twist with my normal vegetable peeler. So, what do you all use to make those beautiful citrus twists for cocktails? And any technique tips? TIA

I cheat. I have a bottle of Lemon bitters and a bottle each of two types of orange bitters. I use a drop (not a dash, I try to be careful and limit it to a drop) of one or the other instead of a lemon or orange twist. I don’t make cocktails often enough (or plan ahead to make them) to justify stocking citrus just for that and we generally stock grapes, berries, and apples rather than citrus for our regular fruit-eating purposes.

For the ham handed amongst us, a channel knife

I’d google it. Have seen bartenders wrap a peel around a straw or maybe a spoon to get the fancy twirl, but can’t recall how it’s done.

Depends on what type of “twist” you want to create. If you’re looking for those long and thin lemon twists, then you likely need a channel knife.

You can do a pretty good twist with any vegetable peeler, the key is that most people’s vegetable peelers are quite dull and like ought to be replaced. If you’re looking for a new one I really like Kuhn Rikon’s peelers. Affordable, super sharp blades and they are offered in a variety of colours.

For either type of peel you want to apply even and steady pressure as you peel and take you time. Going fast is likely to lead to poorer results. If you are looking to create long twists then you want to go across the latitudinal axis of the citrus. If you’re trying to maximise the number of citrus peels you get from one lemon/lime then do the opposite. With channel knives you’re always going to be cutting latitudinally. The other trick to getting some nice twists is to rotate the citrus not the peeler, you end up maximising the contact with the fruit that way and tend to get nicer twists. Do be careful as that manner of peeling makes you more prone to cutting yourself.

Hope this helps.

An oxo serrated peeler give a nice citrus peel with minimal pith. The serrated edge makes a big difference. You need a channel knife for a twist. Wrap the peel around a stirring rod then slid off into the drink

I was a bartender for a million years and this is how I just to make mine.

Fun fact- how did I learn this technique? I saw Woody (Woody Harrelson) the bartender doing it in an episode of Cheers!

Before I learn this, we used to just peel the peel off of a lemon slice, but they were not nearly long enough to be super fancy with them.

That is the most significant new thing I have learned in a long time. Thank you for posting it! It might make me get back into making cocktails again!

That was fantastic. Downside is that I will be compelled to make additional cocktails so I don’t waste the peels now

Thanks, Everyone. And, Linda, I’d never seen that technique before today.

Excellent tip, thanks!