I got first place in the November /r/cocktails competition where the required ingredients were absinthe and an amaro. At the moment of making this, I only had 2 examples of what I could call an amaro: Fernet-Branca and Cynar. I’d been making tons of Cynar drinks lately, so I decided to go with the Fernet and began thinking of what else could pair with it and the absinthe. I had a virgin bottle of crème de cacao that I’d been meaning to try out, and thought that would be a great addition. I started thinking about boozy stirred drinks, since the weather is cooling off, and so I added some sweet vermouth. Luckily, I have Carpano Antica on hand which I knew would pair beautifully with chocolate. All that was left was the base spirit, and I went with one of my favorites in Bertoux brandy with its surprising cocoa notes and smooth taste. I really struggled with naming this one. On paper, I thought the menthol notes of the Fernet would be more obvious. With that and the brandy, I thought about a Stinger. What do you get when you add more “body” to a stinger? Why, a whole stinging insect, of course! Hence “Vespid,” the family of insects including many wasps. Now, it turns out that the menthol isn’t as obvious as I expected, but it was the perfect amount for the final drink, and the name is so cool that I dare not change it; so, “Vespid” it remains. As the weather cools off a bit, I’m drawn to these kinds of boozy, stirred drinks. This represents one of my favorite kinds of those: the dessert drink that has enough complexity (and bitterness) to complement its apparent sweetness. Please enjoy this rich, chocolatey nightcap! You won’t be sorry!