The El Diablo cocktail traces its origins to the 1940s where it appeared in Trader Vic’s cocktail guides but is also credited to Don Javier Delgado Corona, who owned a bar in the city of Tijuana. The exact inventor is a little murky, which suits a drink whose name means “the devil.” What’s clearer is that the cocktail emerged from a cross cultural flirtation between American bartenders fascinated by agave spirits and Mexican flavours. Tequila replaced rum in some tiki circles and the El Diablo became a way to showcase tequila’s versatility. The drink became popular with American tourists and eventually made its way north of the border

The classic El Diablo is built with tequila, crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur)*, fresh lime juice and ginger beer**, typically served over ice in a highball glass and garnished with a lime wedge. The dark, fruity cassis mingles with the fizzy ginger beer while lime cuts through the sweetness, creating a punchy, balanced drink that’s both refreshing and a touch devilish. Its rise to classic status came with the cocktail renaissance of the late 20th and early 21st centuries when bartenders revived and refined vintage recipes, home mixologists embraced its simplicity, and tequila’s surge in popularity cemented the El Diablo as a staple on modern cocktail lists.