By Hairee Lee

Four Aces in the Iittala Ultima Old Fashioned glass

And we have a winner!

Four Aces is really more of a summery drink than a fall cocktail, but it has elements of fall.

Like the the added herb and ginger for instance. Think rosemary in roasted chicken on a chilly autumn Sunday, think gingersnaps and ginger tea.

Melissa even paired the cocktail with the iittala Ultima Old Fashioned that echoed the bark on the tree bark in the photo styling and cut wood makes me think of log cabins and wood fires, which makes me think of colder weather, wool, blankets.

iittala Ultima Old Fashioned glasses

But that’s about as fall as this cocktail gets. So why is it part of the Fall Cocktail Series? Honestly?

We loved Domaine de Canton, the ginger liqueur. We first tried it for Cocktail#7: The Cure a beer cocktail, incredibly refreshing in the summer for our, well, Summer Cocktail Series 2011. And so I was asked to have another one using the liqueur.

Laura also wanted to see more cocktails using herbs.

This one was just too good to resist. Not only did it have Domain de Canton, but also Ketel One, my favorite vodka commercials vodka. The vodka is great. The ads are even better.¹

Alcoholic ingredients of Four Aces: Domaine de Canton and Ketel One Vodka sitting on the Chilewich Basketweave tablemat in bark

And the cocktail? Let’s just say even Kristina liked it and she’s a tough customer to please at the bar.

Four Aces in the iittala Ultima Old Fashioned

Cocktail #3: Four Aces
Serves 1

Ingredients

• 6 fresh Seedless white grapes

White seedless grapes: a decidedly un-autumnal fruit

• 1½ ounce Ketel One Vodka
• ½ ounce Freshly squeezed lime juice
• ½ ounce Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
• ¼ ounce simple syrup
• 4 fresh torn basil leaves

Directions

1. Muddle grapes in base of Match Pewter Cocktail Shaker using the Rosle Fruit Muddle/Caipirinha Pestle – long.

Match Pewter Cocktail Shaker

Grapes in the Match Pewter Cocktail Shaker just before muddling

1. Add Ketel One, lime juice, Domaine de Canton, simple syrup, and basil.

Match Pewter Jigger used to measure out Ketel One Vodka. Match Pewter Cocktail Shaker in the back.

Domain de Canton measured in the Match Pewter Jigger

Last ingredient, lime juice, added to the Match Pewter Cocktail Shaker

1. Shake with ice for 20 seconds and strain into glass.

Straining the drink into the iittala Ultima Old Fashioned glass

1. Top with soda water, stir and serve.

JOIN US NEXT WEEK FOR FALL COCKTAIL #: BULLEIT MANHATTAN. (And no that’s not a typo.)

Recipe adapted from diffordsguide.com.

Photographs by Nate Brescia.

1. 

   Hot men in the Ketel One ads having a guys night out.

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