Lemon Twist Recipe

Chill glass

Place a coupe or martini glass in the freezer or fill with ice water to chill while you prepare the cocktail.

If using fresh lemon juice, roll the lemon on the counter under your palm to soften it, then cut and juice until you have the required amount (about 1 medium lemon).

Dry shake (if using egg white)

In a cocktail shaker, combine gin (2 oz), fresh lemon juice (0.75 oz), simple syrup (0.5 oz), Limoncello (0.25 oz, optional), and egg white (0.5 oz, optional). Without ice, seal the shaker and shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds to emulsify and create foam.

Wet shake

Open the shaker, add 6 ice cubes, reseal and shake hard for 12–15 seconds until the shaker feels very cold (this chills and dilutes the drink properly). If you skipped egg white, just combine all liquid ingredients with ice and shake until chilled.

Dump the ice water from the chilled glass if you used that method. Double-strain the cocktail into the chilled coupe or martini glass using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer to remove ice shards and any egg white solids, producing a silky surface.

Express the oils from the lemon twist over the surface of the drink by holding the peel skin-side down about 3–4 inches above the glass and giving it a firm bend so a spray of citrus oils lands on the cocktail.

Run the expressed twist around the rim of the glass for aroma, then drop the twist into the drink (or rest on the rim), and optionally grate a small pinch (about 0.25 tsp) of lemon zest over the foam for extra fragrance.

If desired, add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters onto the foam and use a toothpick to create a small decorative pattern; this also adds subtle aromatic complexity.