El Diablo

While the original recipe from 1946 calls for ginger ale, the one being used around this drink’s creation was most likely more akin to the ginger beer we have today. Keep this in mind if you’re flipping over old recipes that also make use of this ingredient. 

In terms of presentation, you could pour the ginger beer gently over the ice in order to create a gradient of color.

Alternatively, you could build this drink in the glass: Add the tequila and lime juice, and stir. Add ice and ginger beer and gently pour the crème de cassis on top, letting it drip to the bottom.

Some recipes call for using ginger syrup and soda instead of ginger beer. Try it out and see which one you like best.

The original name for this recipe was the “Mexican El Diablo”, and it appeared in 1946’s Trader Vic’s Book of Food and Drink. It was later shortened to “El Diablo” in 1968’s Trader Vic’s Pacific Island Cookbook.