Flame
Definition
A dramatic technique where citrus oils are expressed through a flame, creating a caramelized, aromatic mist over the drink. Hold the peel between the flame and the glass, squeeze firmly to ignite the oils.
The practice of expressing citrus peel through a flame has documented roots stretching back to Jerry Thomas, whose 1862 book How to Mix Drinks instructed bartenders to twist a lemon peel over a glass and set fire to it. The citrus peel contains volatile oils — primarily d-limonene — that are flammable and vaporize rapidly when briefly ignited, creating an aromatic mist that settles over the drink. The flame caramelizes the top layer of citrus oil slightly, adding a subtle char note to the bright citrus fragrance — what New York bartender Joaquín Simó described in writing as a smoky complexity layered over the citrus. The modern technique was popularized in the United States by bartender Pepe Ruiz in the early 1970s at Perino's restaurant in Los Angeles, where he created the Flame of Love cocktail for singer and actor Dean Martin, using a flamed orange twist over iced vodka. Bartender Dale DeGroff brought the technique to wider craft cocktail practice when he opened the Rainbow Room in New York in 1987, applying it across his menu and cementing it in the craft cocktail revival. Flaming is most commonly applied using an orange twist for Old Fashioneds and Negronis, a lemon twist for Martinis and Sidecars, or a grapefruit peel for Palomas and tequila cocktails. The execution requires a wooden match or long-reach lighter, a fresh peel with good oil content, and a clear workspace free of spilled spirits or paper garnishes. The peel is held between the heat source and the glass, then squeezed firmly in one decisive motion to project the oil through the flame. The flash of ignition lasts less than one second; the oils burn out completely, leaving no flame in the drink.
💡 Pro Tips
- Use a wooden match rather than a butane lighter for better control and no chemical odor from the flame
- Clear the area of any spilled spirits or paper garnishes before performing a flame — the oil burns out in under a second but the fire needs a clean path
- Express firmly and quickly — a hesitant squeeze releases too little oil to ignite properly
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- Expressing too slowly or too gently, which releases insufficient oil to create the brief ignition
- Holding the peel at the wrong angle so the oil spray misses the flame entirely
- Performing over a glass with any liquid above the rim level — the flame needs clear air between peel and drink