Cocktails with Orange peel
Orange peel is the outer rind of the orange (Citrus × sinensis), used in drinks as an aromatic garnish and flavouring rather than as a beverage.
Taste profile
Fragrant citrus oil dominates, bright and orange-scented; the white pith beneath adds an unwanted bitterness if left on.
How it's used
A single strip is expressed over the surface of a finished drink, oils squeezed skin-side down to spray a citrus aroma across the top, then often dropped in as garnish. The albedo is trimmed away to avoid bitterness, and the aroma is strongest immediately after expression.
Substitutes for Orange peel
Another citrus peel with expressible flavedo oils, such as lemon, can stand in with a shift of aromatic character; the specific orange note cannot be reproduced by a non-citrus garnish or by orange juice, which lacks the volatile peel oils.
Often confused with
A twist is a strip of peel cut from the flavedo and expressed over or into the drink to release its oils, then often dropped in as garnish; grated zest is finely shredded flavedo mixed into a preparation. Both come from the same flavedo but differ in form and technique.
