Tequila Diablo Rojo
A fresh tequila drink with a ginger kick, sharp lime and a deep, berry-sweet finish of cassis.
Ingredients
- Blanco tequila, 100% agave45 ml
- Crème de cassis, floated on top12 ml
- Lime juice, freshly squeezed15 ml
- Simple syrup, to taste (1 part Sugar, 1 part Water)15 ml
- Ginger beer, a spicy ginger beertop up
- Pomegranate, seeds, to garnish (optional)1 piece
- Lime, to garnish (optional)1 wheel
Method
- Half fill a highball glass with ice cubes.
- Add the tequila, lime juice and simple syrup straight into the glass.
- Stir briefly to mix and chill.
- Top up with ginger beer and stir gently one last time to keep the fizz.
- Pour the cassis slowly over the back of a bar spoon so it settles as a red layer on top.
- Drop in the pomegranate seeds and garnish with a lime wheel, if you like.
About this drink
The Diablo Rojo is a colourful take on the classic El Diablo of the 1940s, the drink in which tequila, cassis and ginger beer first met in Trader Vic's recipe books. Floating the cassis on top gives it its red layer, the 'rojo' of the name, and a scattering of pomegranate seeds adds a fresh, tart crunch.
Questions and answers
What gives the Tequila Diablo Rojo its red colour?
Crème de cassis, the blackcurrant liqueur poured on top at the end, gives the drink its red layer and a deep berry sweetness against the sharpness of the tequila.
Why is the cassis floated on top instead of shaken in?
It creates the layered look that is part of the drink's name and character. Shake it in and everything blends, and you lose the effect.
