Jessica Gonzalez at Death & Co named this drink after a Rembrandt painting, and it only takes one look (and one sip) to see why. Like the painting, the Night Watch cocktail is moody and dark at first sip, but reveals endless details and complexity the deeper you go. Hints of juniper, wisps of clove, old wood and tobacco leaves abound.
Gonzalez calls for Lustau’s East India Solera sherry. This is a sweet, viscous variety that is treated to a series of temperature changes and agitations in its development, to replicate the flavors of sherry that sailed in wooden barrels on old Dutch ships; sloshing around, changing temperature through the latitudes, and developing a characteristic deep sweetness as a result. You can use other sweet sherries, but it may take a bit more or less simple syrup to reach the perfect balance.
