As a garnish, citrus is powerful magic in the cocktail world, and every home mixologist should learn how to wield citrus to its fullest potential. Two essential techniques for every cocktail enthusiast to master are learning how to express citrus rind and how to effectively flame an orange peel to enhance both the aroma and the flavor of a variety of cocktails. These techniques are a great way to add depth and balance to a cocktail–and they look pretty cool, too.

While a curl of citrus may appear to be merely decorative, perhaps even an afterthought, it plays a key role in the composition of the cocktail. With a quick twist of the rind, the bartender expresses fragrant essential oils and releases a rich citrus perfume onto the surface of the cocktail. This adds a distinctive top layer of complexity to the cocktail, enhancing its aroma without adding sweetness. Expressing citrus correctly is an art-form, though, and it requires a light touch. To begin, use a sharp paring knife to slice a thin oval from the peel. Take care not to cut too deeply into the pith, which is too bitter for our purposes. Twist the peel over the surface of the cocktail to add a thin float of essential oil. Before dropping the peel in the glass, if that’s your plan, rim the glass with the peel for an added punch of fragrance.

If you like a touch of theatre with your mixology, flaming an orange peel is a neat trick that also adds a fresh burst of aroma to the cocktail. This applause-worthy effect takes some practice, but it’s an impressive skill to add to your arsenal. To begin, use a sharp paring knife to cut a silver-dollar sized circle from the peel. This piece should be thicker than what you would use to express citrus, and it’s fine if there’s a bit of pith in it. Light a wooden match and hover it several inches above the cocktail at a 45°angle. Sharply squeeze the pith-side of the peel a few inches from the flames so the essential oils spray from the rind to create a quick flashpoint over the cocktail. Finish the cocktail by rubbing the peel around the glass and dropping it in. This video does a great job demonstrating this technique.

These techniques can be used to add a fun twist to a number of classic cocktails. One of the most famous is the Flame of Love, a vodka martini with a flamed citrus twist created for Dean Martin. An expressed lemon peel adds the perfect finishing touch to a Sazerac, and a flamed orange peel is the secret ingredient to a smoked orange Old Fashioned.