Bartending Techniques - How to Cut a Lime Wedge

Hi guys! My name is Moe Harris. I'm here at the Professional Bartending School in Arlington, Virginia.

Today, I'm going to show you how to make two basic garnish cuts. Garnish is something that’s you actually going to add to the look, sometimes to the flavor of the drink itself. You’re going to need three essential things. You’re going to need a knife for the cutting, obviously, a fruit for the garnish and the cutting board, so you don't mess up the surface on, which you are cutting on.

Now, the first cut that we are going to make is something called a wedge. All you are going to do is slice each end off of the lime. Now, that you have got the ends sliced off, you could stand it right up there, and you’re going to make a cut right down the middle. So, you have got two big fat pieces there. Then what you are going to want to do is now that you have it halved, you are going to make a little slit right down the inside, this way right here, and what that's going to allow it to do is actually rest on your glass nice and easy. So, it will stick right it in, one little cut.

Then finally, you can cut this into either three or four pieces depending on the size of the garnish that you want. I'm just going to make three pieces, just one right there, and cut this thing into thirds, another one right here, and now, you have got three basic lime wedges. Again, that slit right there and it does allow that thing to sit right on the edge of your glass, and there you go. Let's put three of them on this thing, why not, three limes and nothing else. That's your basic lime wedge.