I recall those days when the mere mention of the word tequila made me grimace. I found it to be the most unappealing liquor possible. Harsh was the word I would have used to describe it and all these many years later I now know why. Most restaurants, unless they charge you an arm and a leg for an upgrade, serve their tequila based cocktails with something I would never buy. Beware of Gold; those drinks are anything but! It’s the cheapest and least aged of all tequila and the bite it provides is not something I enjoy. I like something aged and smoother like a reposado…and then I discovered Pisco Portón!
While the most well known cocktail using Pisco is the Pisco Sour made from Pisco, sugar, lemon, and egg white, I wanted to try it in a cocktail that called for tequila and see if I could discern a distinct difference. Enter the El Diablo. This is a potent potion, calling for 3 oz of blanco tequila to be mixed with equal parts Creme de Cassis and lime juice that is then topped off with Ginger Beer. That seemed like a LOT of tequila so Pisco seemed the perfect substitute to lighten that up just a bit for me.
Most recipes call for a lime wedge for garnish but I saw this one in Bon Appetit magazine and figure if Andrew Knowlton can use thyme, so can I! It helps I have a little indoor garden of herbs keeping me sane until the weather warms here enough to start some outdoor planting!
It was heady stuff but this cocktail was delicious too. I haven’t had a cocktail in a bit; I’m a pill about mixing pills and booze so I’ve had to keep my distance for a couple of weeks while on meds and I have to say this was a lovely cocktail to embrace the return to better health. Next week? Come on over; I plan to have a party!!
Ingredients
- 3 oz Pisco (or blanco tequila)
- 1 1/2 oz Creme de Cassis
- 1 1/2 oz lime juice
- Ginger Beer (chilled)
- Thyme sprig
Preparation
- Mix the Pisco, Creme de Cassis and lime juice in a tall glass and still well. Add ice and thyme sprig and stir to combine; top with Ginger Beer.
