El Diablo
Tequila, lime, blackcurrant liqueur and ginger beer over ice. Fruity, spicy and deep purple.
- MethodBuilt
- GlassHighball glass
- IceCubes
- Strengthabout 11.8% ABV
- BaseTequila & mezcal
- Tastefruity, spicy, refreshing
Recipe
| 45 ml 1½ oz | Tequila reposado or Tequila blanco (100% agave) |
| 15 ml ½ oz | Fresh lime juice |
| Top up: 90 ml 3 oz | Ginger beer (non-alcoholic) or Ginger ale |
| 15 ml ½ oz | Crème de cassis |
Garnish. A lime wedge and, in season, a blackberry or two on a pick.
Method
- Fill a highball glass with ice.
- Add the tequila and lime juice and top with ginger beer.
- Pour the crème de cassis slowly over the top; it will sink through the drink in purple streaks.
- Garnish and serve with a stirrer so the drinker can mix it.
About the El Diablo
El Diablo is a tequila highball with blackcurrant and ginger: the cassis brings dark fruit and colour, the ginger beer brings heat and fizz, and lime keeps it fresh. It is fruitier than most tequila drinks and very easy to like. Ginger beer gives more bite than the ginger ale of the original.
History
Earliest record 1946: Trader Vic's Book of Food and Drink (as Mexican El Diablo)
Documented
The earliest known recipe appears as the "Mexican El Diablo" in Trader Vic's Book of Food and Drink (1946), by Victor Bergeron of the Trader Vic's restaurants, where it is marked as one of his own creations. That version used tequila, crème de cassis, half a lime and ginger ale. Later editions of his books shortened the name to El Diablo.
Legend and lore
The drink is sometimes credited to Mexican bartenders of the 1940s or to later Mexican-themed restaurants. A rum drink called Diablo existed a few years earlier, and Bergeron may have adapted it; beyond his own books there is no record of who first made the tequila version.
Disputed or unclear: Whether Bergeron invented the tequila version or adapted an existing drink is unclear.
Variations
- With ginger ale. The original 1946 mixer; softer and sweeter.
- Moscow Mule. Vodka, lime and ginger beer, without the cassis.
- Paloma. Tequila lengthened with grapefruit soda instead.
Bartender's notes
- Add the cassis last for the streaked look, but stir before drinking or the last sips will be syrupy.
- Reposado tequila stands up better to the cassis than a light blanco.
