Usually what I get when I order the drink is vodka on the rocks with a wedge of on the rim. It gives the vodka a nice citus zing w/o making it too sugary.
However, at one bar, the tender carefully removed the fruit and threw it away and swabbed the inside of the glass with the lime rind. I was going to ask her why the hell she did that, but the scowl on here face convinced me to STFU and drink the drink.
So I’m sure there are some tenders out there who know, why the heck would you wipe the glass with a lime rind?
You asked for a “twist,” didn’t you? Well, she gave you a twist. A twist is peel, not a wedge.
She rubbed it around the rim to release the oil, thus making your booze more aromatic.
Ukelele Ike got it right. Another way of getting the aromatic oil without the sweet fruit is a zester. My late Dad had one; it looked like a peeler with a serrated edge, and it took just the oily, colored part of the peel off. The white part underneath is more bitter. Use it close to the drink, and you’ll see a spray of oil come off the rind.