The Switchblade

At the end of a busy day, or when a flock of thirsty vultures descends suddenly upon your roost, it’s nice to be able to serve up a sophisticated yet two-fisted drink without ruffling your feathers. You can accomplish this easily by always keeping a supply of your own homemade sweet-and-sour mix on hand.

Sweet-and-sour is quick to prepare and can be put together while you’re prepping for other cocktails or even making a meal — hey, you’re messing up the kitchen anyway. To a clean bottle or jar, add:

One part freshly-squeezed lemon juice
One part freshly-squeezed lime juice
One part simple syrup

Shake vigorously and refrigerate. If you don’t know how long you may keep it, add a jot of vodka or white rum as a preservative. Throw it away after a week and make more. If you have more lemons than limes in hand, or vice versa, don’t sweat it — sweet-and-sour can stand a little fudging in its preparation and eventually you can adjust it to your own tastes.

Now, on to our manly cocktail!

The Cocktail Vultures love both bourbon and amaretto and have now put them together in this very American take on the Stiletto. It will nonetheless stand you in good stead when contemplating your next vendetta.

To an ice-filled shaker, add:

1.5 ounces Bourbon
1.5 ounces Amaretto
1.5 ounces sweet-and-sour mix
A hearty dash of Peychaud bitters

Shake vigorously and pour into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with lemon and lime peels and add a straw.