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Learn how to make a lemon twist for cocktails using just a knife: no special tools required! It’s the easiest way to add a citrus garnish to any drink.
Got a cocktail that you want to garnish with a lemon twist, but not sure how to make one? We’re here to help! Alex and I are home cooks and homemade cocktail connoisseurs. We love finding the very easiest way to things, avoiding special tools if we can.
Lately we made our French 75, Lemon Drop and Champagne Cocktail, and needed a cocktail garnish. Traditionally a lemon twist requires a special tool, so we set about finding a new way! Here’s how to make a lemon twist with a knife.
The Tools: Channel Knife vs. Paring Knife
If you’ve ever seen a bartender make a lemon twist, they were probably using a channel knife. A channel knife makes it easy to cut out a lemon twist. They’re relatively inexpensive, so it’s not hard to stock up on one. (Here’s a channel knife on Amazon.)
My everyday method uses a sharp paring knife (a vegetable peeler works in a pinch, too). The key word here is sharp: it won’t work with a dull blade. A clean, sharp edge gives you an even, beautiful curl.
How to Make a Lemon Twist
How to Make a Lemon Twist
The easiest method for how to make a lemon twist as a cocktail garnish uses no special equipment: all you need is a knife!
Materials
- 1 lemon
Tools
- 1 paring knife
Instructions
- Cut the lemon width-wise into a circle.
- Run a paring knife around the edge to remove the peel, cutting away as much of the pith as possible. Remove the fruit and set aside.
- Cut the remaining peel circle so that it becomes a long strip. Twist it, holding it for several seconds until the shape is kept.
How to Add the Twist to Your Drink
You can place the twist over the rim of the glass for some drama. For something like a classic martini or a sidecar, I love perching it on the rim.
For a spirit-forward sipper, I usually use a citrus peel: use a knife to remove a 1″ wide strip of the citrus peel. Squeeze the peel into the drink to release the oils, then gently run the peel around the edge of the glass and place it in the glass.
Cocktails to Garnish With a Lemon Twist
There are lots of cocktails with this garnish! Here are our favorites that you can use this garnish trick on:
- French 75 Cocktail A sophisticated drink that’s tangy, bubbly, and a bit botanical.
- The Classic Champagne Cocktail A classic cocktail that’s festive and elegant, perfect for celebration. The sugar cube makes it sparkle!
- Lemon Drop Here’s the best lemon drop martini you’ll have, made simply with vodka, Cointreau and lemon! It’s festive and refreshing, with a lemon twist and sugar rim.
Make Ahead and Storage
You can prep lemon twists in advance: this is nice if you’re hosting. Cut your twists, then store them in an airtight container with a damp paper towel in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.
If you’re using lemon juice in some recipe, any recipe, just go ahead, juice the lemon, save the juice or use it right away, and then scrape out the remaining meat with a spoon. You can then slice up the remaining rind any way you like! You can of course cut off any pith you don’t want with a sharp knife. In a pinch , I’ve used a potato peeler, cut off the rind I want, then slice it into thinner strips.
Wish you had a video of how to make lemon peel twist. I don’t understand how you cut the lemon length wise and yet still make a circle. I would think you would cut the lemon cross wise to keep make it a circle.
I’m not sure what you are looking at, but do width wise. There are step by step pictures in the recipe card.
I am a retired bartender and was interested in your method for making lemon twists. Your method seems ideal for the more ornate cocktails while my way lends itself more to the neighborhood bar. I’m wondering if you are aware of the use of an ice pick.
Cut off both ends of the lemon so that about 2″ remains. Insert an ice pick between the rind and the meat in one end and push through to the other end keeping the point of the ice pick away from the meat. Now, pressing the ice pick firmly against the rind, rotate the lemon allowing the rod of the ice pick to separate the rind from the meat. Massaging the lemon while rotating will facilitate the separation. Pushing the separated meat out one end will give you a tube of lemon rind. Cut the tube in half lengthwise and flatten in order to cut twists to measure 2″ X 1/4″ wide.
The bartender will then twist the twist over the prepared cocktail to release a mist of citrus oil adding a hint of lemon taste and aroma to the drink.
We’ll have to try this!