There are many different ways to make an orange twist and really no right way. We believe that it has more to do with your own personal preference and aesthetic sense. Here are five of our favorite orange twists for cocktails (and of course, don't forget these apply to other citrus twists too!). We call this twist the sailor knot because it's easy to make and it's sturdy. Slice a long thin piece of the rind, trim down the inside white flesh part, and coil it. Then thread the two end pieces through loops of the coils and pull. Voila! A pretty citrus knot garnish for your cocktail.
Because of the current craft cocktail craze (though we predict it's a trend here to stay), we call this the prohibition twist. Take a knife or like many bartenders, a carrot peeler, and slice yourself a wide thin section of citrus rind.
The shoestring twist is the same long skinny peel that you used for the sailor knot before you twisted it. Coil it up and drop it in your glass. If you want it to stay coiled as a garnish, consider using a toothpick like in this photo.
A muscle twist is just a big long hunk of rind that hasn't been trimmed down or shaved down. If you twist it a bunch before dropping it into your drink it will release a lot of nice flavor.
The bartender twist is really more for show than anything else (we were debating calling it the lazy twist). Unless it's twisted first and run along the rim of your glass, you really won't notice any flavor in your drink. It's like wearing a brooch. Does it add anything to your drink? Not really. But it looks nice.
Do you have a style of twist that you love for your cocktails? We've love to hear about it. Leave a comment or upload a photo on our Facebook page.