Mom's Dinner

  • Home
  • All Recipes
  • Instant Pot
    • All Instant Pot Recipes
    • Instant Pot Soup
    • Instant Pot Beef
    • Instant Pot Chicken
    • Instant Pot Pork
    • Instant Pot Turkey
    • Instant Pot Pasta
    • Instant Pot Vegetarian
  • Dinner
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Pork
    • Turkey
    • Fish & Seafood
    • Mexican
    • Pasta
    • Vegetarian
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • All Recipes
  • Dinner
  • About
  • Subscribe
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • Dinner
  • About
  • Subscribe
×
You are here: Home / Recipes / Tequila

El Diablo Cocktail

By Susie Weinrich · Date Sep 6, 2022· 2 Comments · May contain affiliate links.

El Diablo Cocktail text with a picture of a pinkish red cocktail
↓ Jump to Recipe
Pin the Recipe

The El Diablo is a tequila based cocktail that is a little sweet and a little tart with flavors of spicy ginger, lime and blackberry. It is translated as “The Devil” and is a great tequila cocktail to enjoy any time of the year. It is refreshing enough for Spring and Summer, but spicy enough for Fall and Winter.

El Diablo Cocktail in a tall glass with large ice cubes
Table of Contents hide
1 Translation
2 Where Did El Diablo Come From
3 Ingredients
4 Tequila
5 Halloween Cocktail
6 More Tequila Drinks
7 Did you make this recipe?
8 El Diablo Cocktail

Translation

What does El Diablo mean? It is a Spanish word that translated directly means The Devil.

It is pronounced “el-dee-ahb-low”

Where Did El Diablo Come From

This cocktail was originally published in the 1940’s in the Trader Vic’s Book of Food and Drink and was published as a tequila cocktail with Crème de Cassis drizzled over top to sink through the cocktial. Over time it has evolved to a shaken cocktail that has a beautiful pinkish/red hue.

The original Trader Vic’s cookbook is now about $200 a copy!! So if you have one or find one in your Grandparents house, treasure it!

Ingredients

To make the El Diablo you need to stock your bar with a few ingredients:

ingredients to make an El Diablo Cocktail

Reposado Tequila – this tequila is a mix of aged tequila and silver tequila. It has a nice mild flavor and light golden color. You can also make a Blackberry Smash with Reposado Tequila

Crème de Cassis – this is a very sweet liqueur made of black currants. It tastes like grape juice!

Ginger Beer – not all ginger beers are created equal! Some are SO overly sweet! I recommend the Q Mixer or Fever Tree brands. Ginger beer is also excellent for Mexican Mules!

Finally you just need some fresh limes!

Tequila

Since this is a mixed drink a mid range tequila will work just fine! No need to spend a ton of money like when you drink Tequila on the Rocks. Here are some brands we like:

  • Esplon
  • Cazadores
  • Jose Cuervo

Halloween Cocktail

El Diablo, being “The Devil”, is a great cocktail to serve on Halloween, just like this Devil’s Margarita or Halloween Margarita. Pour it in a spooky glass, or garnish it with a gummy eyeball.

cocktail being poured from a shaker over ice

Just like these Bloody Shirley Temples you could serve the Crème de Cassis in a spooky syringe in the glass!

More Tequila Drinks

  • ginger margarita cocktail with a lime and fresh ginger coin
    Fresh Ginger Margarita
  • Apple Cider Margarita Cocktail in a glass with apple slice and cinnamon sitcks
    Spiced Apple Cider Margarita
  • pomegranate margarita in a tall glass with orange and arils
    Pomegranate Margarita
  • Tequila Hot Toddy from above
    21 Tequila Cocktails Perfect for Fall

Susie leaning on the kitchen counter

💛💛💛💛💛

Did you make this recipe?

I would love to hear your review, especially if you have tips and tricks to add! Pop down to the comment section and connect with me

Rate This Recipe→
el Diablo Cocktail in a tall glass with large ice cubes

El Diablo Cocktail

A tequila based cocktail that has flavors of spicy ginger beer, fresh lime and blackberry from Crème de Cassis.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes
Servings: 1 drink
Author: Susie Weinrich

Equipment

  • Cocktail Shaker

Ingredients

  • 1.5 oz tequila reposado
  • ½ oz crème de cassis
  • ½ oz lime juice
  • 2-3 oz ginger beer

Garnish

  • Fresh cut lime wedges

Instructions
 

  • Fill a glass with ice, about an 8-10 oz glass. Set aside.
  • Put a few cubes of ice in a cocktail shaker (in a pinch use a mason jar carefully!!). Pour in the Tequila, Lime Juice and Crème de Cassis.
    Give it a vigorous shake for 20 seconds.
  • Strain into the prepared glass. Top with 2-3 oz ginger beer.
  • Garnish with a lime wedge.

Recipe Tips and Notes:

GINGER BEER: not all ginger beers are created equally!! Some are SO overly sweet. The Q Mixer and Fever Tree are two brands that have a nice balance of sweetness, spiciness and bubbles.
TEQUILA: a mid range tequila will work perfectly fine for this drink; Esplon, Cazadores or Jose Cuervo are great options here.
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
Jump to Comments

About Susie Weinrich

Susie Weinrich is the recipe developer, food photographer, and content creator behind Mom's Dinner. She has over 20 years experience in the food industry. Currently, Susie shares all her recipes and food knowledge on Mom's Dinner. You will find her recipes are easy to follow and full of tips and tricks to make sure the recipe you are making turns out perfect!

Comments

    5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

    We would love to have you comment & rate the recipe! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Maxwell Pennock says

    March 30, 2024 at 4:36 pm

    5 stars
    I brought the real Creme de Cassis de Dijon in my luggage. I added the lime, Silver Cuervo Especial with Gosling’s ginger beer. Simply delicious. The fruity, berry after taste trails nicely. Great recipe

    Reply
  2. Susanna says

    September 19, 2023 at 8:06 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! But mine is a light rose pink, not red like the photo — I only had white tequila, but the cassis is watered down by the other ingredients.

    Reply
Susie in the kitchen with an apron on getting ready to cook

Meet The Author:

Susie Weinrich is a professional food photographer and recipe developer. Her thoroughly tested recipes and step-by-step guides give readers confidence in the kitchen.

YOU will feel like a huge success at dinner time with any of the simple recipes on Mom's Dinner! Read More

Helpful Meal Planning Resources

  • a table with white place settings and green garland
    Easy Meals for House Guests

  • a round table with a large family eating dinner
    30 Easy Meals for a Large Group on Vacation

woman owned small business certificate by Sertify

Amazing New Recipes

  • Dinner plate serving a barbecue bacon cheeseburger with onion rings and curly fries on the side.
    Over-The-Top BBQ Bacon Burger

  • A hand dipping a strawberry into marshmallow fruit dip
    Marshmallow Fluff Fruit Dip

  • Top view of a prepared Veggie Lo Mein in a skillet with snow peas and bell peppers.
    Simple Lo Mein With Veggies

  • Ladle pulling up out of a Dutch oven with creamy roasted tomato basil soup.
    Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Footer

^ back to top

About

  • Susie Weinrich
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Policy

Contact

  • Sign Up! for emails
  • Contact Me!
  • Join Me On YouTube

Recipes

  • Recipe By Category
  • Instant Pot Recipes
  • Dinner Recipes

Copyright © 2025 Mom's Dinner

Rate & Review This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.