Episode 049

And, if you want another take on Creme de Casiss, check out flavor scientist Dan McCall’s explanation of why blackcurrants are so damn delicious in Episode 5.

Two Takes on the El Diablo

The Architecture of the Cocktail Recipe

• 2 oz blanco (silver) tequila
• 3/4 oz Creme de Cassis
• Ginger Beer

Shake the tequila and the creme de cassis over ice, then strain into a collins glass and top with ginger beer.

The Imbibe.com Recipe

• 1.5 oz reposado tequila
• ½ oz creme de cassis
• ½ oz lime juice
• 3 oz ginger beer

The Architecture of the Cocktail version is going to be a bit sweeter and more mellow, with emphasis on the liqueur and ginger beer, and the Imbibe.com version is going to be driven by the aged tequila and accented by that healthy dose of lime juice.

So, looking at these two recipes, we can gather that when you want to make an El Diablo cocktail, you should be asking yourself:

A.) What kind of tequila do I want to use?
B.) How much acidity do I want in my drink?
C.) How sweet do I want it to be?

Lightning Round

Favorite Cocktail

A Bloody Mary, but with Gin.

Cocktail with Anyone, Past or Present

1.) A Gin Rickey with Zelda Fitzgerald in the Riviera.
2.) A Gin & Tonic with Queen Elizabeth of England on the turret of St. George’s Chapel in Windsor overlooking Harry and Meghan’s upcoming wedding.

If You Were a Cocktail Ingredient or Tool, You Would Be…

I would be a swizzle stick because I like mixing things, environments, people, and stories all into one experience.

Influential Cocktail Books

• The Savoy Cocktail Book
• Meehan’s Bartender Manual (Written by Jim Meehan – @mixography)

Advice for New Home Bartenders

Get cool (but not necessarily expensive) glassware. Shop in fours. Having beautiful glassware really adds to the experience.

CC Attributions

Featured Cocktail Background Music

Backbay Lounge Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/