The El Diablo served at Trader Vic’s was made with tequila, lime, ginger ale, and a splash of crème de cassis (that is, black currant liqueur). This extra-refreshing and juicy riff uses earthier mezcal and skips the cassis, opting instead for homemade blackberry syrup and sweet vermouth. Served on crushed ice in a tall glass, it’s the ideal summer afternoon sipper. Bruce Cost Ginger Ale is worth seeking out for this drink; it has a fresh and robust gingery flavor that most ginger ales lack. You’ll add the soda to the glass first; the cocktail mix is heavier and will sink down, so the drink mixes itself.
What you’ll need
Medium Saucepan
$50 $39 At Amazon
Cocktail Shaker
$20 At Amazon
Cocktail Jigger
$6 At Amazon
Hawthorne Strainer
$7 At Amazon
Highball Glass
$30 $22 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
20 minutes
Yield
Makes 4
Ingredients
Syrup
6
1
Assembly
1
5
5
4
8
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Syrup
Step 1
Bring 6 oz. fresh or frozen blackberries and ¼ cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring and mashing berries with a potato masher or fork, until soft and pulpy, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup sugar and cook, stirring often, until dissolved, about 3 minutes. Let cool.
Do Ahead: Blackberry syrup can be made 1 week ahead. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill.
Step 2
To make 1 cocktail, combine one quarter of one 4" piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced, 1¼ oz. mezcal, 1¼ oz. sweet vermouth, 1 oz. fresh lime juice, and 1 oz. blackberry syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 30 seconds.
Step 3
Fill a tall glass two thirds full with crushed ice; pour in 2 oz. ginger ale. Strain cocktail into glass. Garnish with a fresh or frozen blackberry.