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The El Diablo cocktail is a must-make tequila drink! It’s sweet, tart, and spicy, all at the same time, starring black currant liqueur, lime, and ginger beer.

El diablo cocktail
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The El Diablo cocktail is a highball that immediately shot to the top of my favorite tequila drinks, and I bet one sip will turn you into a new convert. Bold berries, zingy lime, and spicy ginger complement the bite of the tequila in an indescribable way. You’ve just got to taste it! Since it’s a highball drink, it’s as easy as pouring the ingredients into an ice-filled glass.

What’s in an El Diablo?

The El Diablo cocktail is a highball drink made with tequila, crème de cassis (black currant liqueur), lime juice, and ginger beer. The drink was invented by Trader Vic in the 1940s. Trader Vic was a restaurant owner considered the grandfather of Tiki drinks. (He invented the Mai Tai and many others.)

The first reference to El Diablo was in his 1946 book, “Trader Vic’s Book of Food and Drink,” where he claims it as his original recipe.

The first recipe for this drink was a highball built right in the glass, but modern versions indicate to shake and strain. My version takes it back to the original. Why dirty a cocktail shaker if you don’t have to?

Here’s what you’ll need for the El Diablo:

  • Tequila reposado
  • Crème de cassis
  • Lime juice
  • Ginger beer

The use of ginger beer may remind you of another famous highball cocktail, the Moscow Mule! The El Diablo is similar to a Mexican mule, but adds crème de cassis.

Creme de cassis

What is Crème de Cassis?

Is it worth grabbing a bottle of crème de cassis for this recipe? It’s an emphatic yes. This is the ideal cocktail to make after you’ve purchased a bottle for a Kir Royale, another favorite around here. Here’s more about this liqueur:

  • Crème de cassis is a dark, sweet liqueur made from black currants. It’s made in Burgundy, France, and first became available in 1841.
  • It’s an inexpensive liquor. You can find a 750 ml bottle for as low as $10. I like the brand Drillaud.
  • Crème de cassis is most popularly used in the Kir Royale, where it’s paired with Champagne. You can also substitute it for Aperol in an Aperol Spritz or substitute it for Chambord in a French Martini.

If you can’t find any crème de cassis, Chambord ( ablack raspberry liqueur) or crème de mure (a blackberry liqueur) work well, too.

El diablo cocktail

Tips for the El Diablo cocktail

The El Diablo cocktail is fast and easy, and you can build it right in the serving glass! Here are a few tips for making this quick drink:

  • Build it right in the glass. Many modern recipes indicate that you should shake and strain this drink. But why spend the extra effort? Make it a traditional highball cocktail, right in the glass. That’s what Trader Vic’s original 1946 recipe indicates.
  • Use tequila reposado. The vanilla and oak notes from aged tequila reposado add just the right sophistication to the flavor. Use an inexpensive to mid-range reposado here. (Save the premium stuff for sipping!) If all you have is tequila blanco, it works, too

More tequila cocktails

I love a classic margarita, but there are so many more great tequila cocktails to try! Here are a few more tequila drinks to put on your radar:

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El Diablo

El diablo cocktail

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5 from 3 reviews

The El Diablo cocktail is a must-make tequila drink! It’s sweet, tart, and spicy, starring black currant liqueur, lime, and ginger beer.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 3 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 minutes
  • Yield: 1 drink 1x
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Stirred
  • Cuisine: Cocktails
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Add the tequila, crème de cassis and lime juice to an ice filled highball glass.
  2. Top with the ginger beer and stir gently. Serve immediately.

Notes

*To convert to tablespoons, 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi there! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of two cookbooks, busy parents, and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share simple, seasonal recipes and the joy of cooking. We now offer thousands of original recipes, cooking tips, and meal planning ideas—all written and photographed by the two of us (and tested on our kids!).

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4 Comments

  1. Robert S. says:

    Another excellent use of Cassis I learned in Brazil is when you make a creme de papaya. Basically a papaya shake and drizzle a little cassis on the top and it takes it to a whole new level! The sweeter the papaya the better. Just cut into chunks, we use Bluebell (Because I’m a Texan) Homemade Vanilla, blend it up like a Ninja, pour into some kind of beautiful glass. (We use these old heavy crystal wine classes. They’re large enough that you don’t get hangry when you finish it off.) Drizzle some Cassis across the top, I do a little spiral and get your spoon, fat straw, and mouth ready for pure Brazilian Bliss.

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      That sounds amazing!

  2. Sabrina says:

    aptly named given the tequila content, but I’ll take my chances, nice additions of ginger beer and lime, my kind of cocktail, thank you!

  3. Sonja Overhiser says:

    Let us know if you have any questions!