Toothpicks vs Cocktail Sticks: Are They the Same?

In everyday use, yes. Both words mean a small pointed stick for spearing a bite of food, and our own product titles use both. Our Wooden Cocktail Sticks 6.5cm carry "Food-Grade Toothpicks" in their title, and the Musubi Bamboo Knot Skewers are titled "Cocktail Sticks with Looped Knot Mini Toothpicks". So the name tells you little about what arrives. What changes from one pick to the next is the length, the material, the top and the pack. Below, six picks we stock sit side by side, with what each product page says it is for.

In this guide

• Are toothpicks and cocktail sticks the same?
• What cocktail sticks are used for
• Picks for drinks and display
• Toothpick and cocktail stick questions

Are toothpicks and cocktail sticks the same?

For ordering purposes, yes. A toothpick is a small stick with a sharp point, used to pick up a bite of food. A cocktail stick is the same kind of stick. People use the two words for the same thing, and so do we: one of our products carries both names in a single title.

How big is a toothpick? On our shelves, 6.5cm. That is the length of the Wooden Cocktail Sticks, the product whose title calls them toothpicks. The Musubi knot picks, sold as "Mini Toothpicks", come in green at 6cm, 9cm, 12cm and 15cm, and in red or black at 9cm.

So when you order, look past the name to four things:

• Length. From 6cm to 15cm across the six picks in this guide.
• Material. Wood or bamboo for five of them, plastic for the one reusable pick, each as its page names it.
• The top. Plain, a looped knot, a bead, a crystal-effect top, a paper frill or a flat paddle handle.
• The pack. 100, 500 or 1,000 pieces on most of them. The Wooden Cocktail Sticks come in 1,000, 5,000 or 10,000.

What cocktail sticks are used for

The Wooden Cocktail Sticks 6.5cm page lists them for cocktail garnishes, canapés, olive picks, cheese cubes, fruit skewers, mini sandwiches and bite-size desserts, in cocktail bars, catering, hotels, restaurants and at weddings. One stick, one bite.

The spec, in the page's own words: length 6.5cm, turned and pointed, a smooth polished surface, a splinter-free finish, and the material given as food-grade wood.

What are cocktail sticks called? Cocktail sticks, toothpicks or picks. The one product title uses all three: "Wooden Cocktail Sticks 6.5cm | Professional Turned & Pointed Picks | Food-Grade Toothpicks".

They come two ways at the same price: in a drum unwrapped, or individually wrapped. Either way, the packs are 1,000, 5,000 or 10,000 pieces, at £2.99, £13.99 and £24.99 + VAT.

Per 100 sticks, that works out at 29.9p + VAT on the 1,000 pack (£2.99 divided by 10), 27.98p + VAT on the 5,000 (£13.99 divided by 50) and 24.99p + VAT on the 10,000 (£24.99 divided by 100).

Picks for drinks and display

A cocktail pick is a short pick for a drink garnish or a single bite, usually with something on the top that is meant to be seen. On our pages, the products sold as drink or cocktail picks are the bead picks and the crystal pick. For garnishing drinks in more depth, see the cocktail garnish playbook.

Six picks side by side

Ordered by the shortest size each one comes in. Lengths are from the product title or the size options on the page; uses are from each page's own list.

Knot picks. The Musubi Bamboo Knot Skewers are natural bamboo with a looped knot at the top. Green runs to four lengths; red and black come in 9cm.

Bead picks. The Cocktail Bamboo Bead Skewers are bamboo with a bead top, in brown or cream. At 6.5cm they match the Wooden Cocktail Sticks for length. The bead is what changes: from £8.99 + VAT per 100, against £2.99 + VAT per 1,000 for the plain stick.

Crystal pick. The Green Crystal Pick 9cm is the one pick here that is not wood or bamboo. Its page gives the material as food-grade BPA-free plastic and lists it as washable and reusable.

Paddle picks. The Disposable Eco-Friendly Bamboo Cocktail Food Picks have a flat paddle handle, and the page calls them paddle skewers. The title says 10cm; the size options run 10cm, 12cm and 15cm.

Frilled picks. The White Frilled Buffet Skewers 10cm are wood with a white paper frill, sold in one pack of 1,000 pieces. You will find them in our Skewers collection.

Long toothpicks: where picks become skewers

What are long toothpicks called? Usually skewers, and our own longer picks are sold that way. The knot picks run to 15cm as Musubi Bamboo Knot Skewers, and the paddle picks run to 15cm as paddle skewers. The names overlap at the short end too: the bead picks are sold as skewers at 6.5cm, the same length as a cocktail stick.

This guide stops at picks. For which skewer length suits which canapé, see how to choose the right skewer length. For choosing catering skewers more widely, see our guide to professional food skewers for catering, events and bars. The wider range sits in Eco-friendly Disposable Skewers.

Toothpick and cocktail stick questions

Are cocktail sticks and toothpicks the same?

In everyday use, yes. Both are small pointed sticks for a bite of food, and our Wooden Cocktail Sticks 6.5cm are titled as toothpicks too. The name will not tell you the size; the length, material and top will.

What is a cocktail pick?

A short pick for a drink garnish or a single bite, usually with a decorative top. Ours are the Cocktail Bamboo Bead Skewers, with a bead top at 6.5cm or 10cm, and the Green Crystal Pick 9cm, with a crystal-effect top.

What are long toothpicks called?

Usually skewers. Our longer picks are sold as skewers: the Musubi knot skewers and the bamboo paddle skewers both run to 15cm.

What can I use instead of a toothpick?

For spearing a bite of food, any of the picks above. The Wooden Cocktail Sticks 6.5cm are the like-for-like swap, since their title calls them toothpicks. The Musubi knot picks are sold as mini toothpicks from 6cm. The Green Crystal Pick 9cm is the reusable one, listed as washable. The bead and frilled picks add a decorative top.