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Before Daylight

Before Daylight cocktail in a tall clear glass with a blackberry garnish on a pink ombr background.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Maggie DiMarco

The El Diablo served at Trader Vic’s was made with tequila, lime, ginger ale, and a splash of crème de cassis (that is, black currant liqueur). This extra-refreshing and juicy riff uses earthier mezcal and skips the cassis, opting instead for homemade blackberry syrup and sweet vermouth. Served on crushed ice in a tall glass, it’s the ideal summer afternoon sipper. Bruce Cost Ginger Ale is worth seeking out for this drink; it has a fresh and robust gingery flavor that most ginger ales lack. You’ll add the soda to the glass first; the cocktail mix is heavier and will sink down, so the drink mixes itself.

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    20 minutes

  • Yield

    Makes 4

Ingredients

Syrup

6 oz. fresh or frozen blackberries
1 cup sugar

Assembly

1 4" piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
5 oz. mezcal
5 oz. sweet vermouth
4 oz. fresh lime juice
8 oz. ginger ale (preferably Bruce Cost)
Fresh or frozen blackberries (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Syrup

    Step 1

    Bring 6 oz. fresh or frozen blackberries and ¼ cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring and mashing berries with a potato masher or fork, until soft and pulpy, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup sugar and cook, stirring often, until dissolved, about 3 minutes. Let cool.

    Do Ahead: Blackberry syrup can be made 1 week ahead. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill.

  2. Step 2

    To make 1 cocktail, combine one quarter of one 4" piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced, 1¼ oz. mezcal, 1¼ oz. sweet vermouth, 1 oz. fresh lime juice, and 1 oz. blackberry syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 30 seconds.

    Step 3

    Fill a tall glass two thirds full with crushed ice; pour in 2 oz. ginger ale. Strain cocktail into glass. Garnish with a fresh or frozen blackberry.

TagsCocktailAlcoholBeveragesBlackberryBerryFruitGingerHerbs & SpicesMezcalVermouthLimeCitrusDairy FreeBon Appétit
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