How do you flame a citrus peel?

Hold a wide strip of orange or lemon peel over the cocktail, skin-side down, with a lit match between the peel and the drink. Squeeze the peel sharply so the oils spray through the flame and ignite for a half-second, caramelizing onto the drink's surface.

Flaming a peel adds a faint caramelized-citrus note to the cocktail and looks dramatic at the bar. The flame is brief — half a second to one second — and the effect is real, not theatrical. Technique: (1) Cut a wide strip of orange peel (orange works best; lemon also flames, lime poorly). The peel should be at least 1.5 inches long with minimal pith. (2) Hold the peel skin-side down, about 2 to 3 inches above the cocktail. (3) Light a wooden match (or a long butane lighter) and hold the flame between the peel and the drink, about an inch above the surface. (4) Squeeze the peel sharply with a twisting motion, exactly as you would for a normal express. The oils spray out, hit the flame, and ignite as a brief flash. Most of the oils still land on the drink, now slightly caramelized. (5) Drop the peel in or discard. Skip flaming if you don't have a long match or a steady hand — the express alone delivers most of the aroma benefit. Classic flamed-peel drinks: Cosmopolitan, Sazerac, some Old Fashioned variations.