Summer Cocktails (early edition):The Diablo

I'm surprised Greg didn't think of it but the penultimate tequila cocktail around here is The Diablo! It means "The Devil" but it brings nothing but goodness as far as I'm concerned. I first learned of it a few years ago when I was looking up alternatives to the margarita when ordering at Mexican restaurants. The drink is Californian in origin first listed in The Trader Vic's Book of Food and Drink. That is a good enough pedigree for me! It was probably a scorcher of a day like today when this drink was first invented because it is by far one of the more refreshing cocktails around. Far from being just a "juice with tequilla" kind of drink this one surely deserves the cocktail moniker for its wonderful use of creme de cassis in the equation. The splash of ginger ale makes it even more refreshing.

The Diablo:

• 1 and 1/2 oz tequila repasodo (I only had silver in the house tonight.)
• 1 and 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz creme de cassis
• splash of ginger beer or ginger ale. (Get the spiciest you can find. Hansen's is surprisingly good and spicy. Use more than a splace on the hottest of afternoons.)
• garnish with lime.

Mix first three ingredients in a shaker and strain over a tall glass filled with ice. Splash ginger ale and garnish with lime. Repeat as often as necessary to stay cool.