Batanga

It’s so much more than the sum of its parts.

batanga tequila coke cocktail easy drink recipe drinks alcohol
Photo: Marisa Chafetz for Thrillist
Photo: Marisa Chafetz for Thrillist

If there’s beauty in simplicity, the Batanga is as gorgeous as they come. The drink is nearly impossible to get wrong: tequila, lime and Coca-Cola served over ice in a highball glass with a salted rim. Legend has it that the history of the modern Batanga dates back to the 1950s or ‘60s. It’s impossible to know who first mixed tequila and cola (just like it’s impossible to know who did the same with rum), but credit is given to Don Javier Delgado Corona of La Capilla in Tequila, Mexico. The humble bar is located in tequila’s namesake town, and its walls are covered with yellowing framed photos. La Capilla, which translates to “the chapel,” has been featured as one of the World’s 50 Best Bars alongside mainstays like Dead Rabbit, Employees Only and PDT. Those bars and their menus are generally recognized for extensive options and intricate cocktails. But the Batanga at La Capilla hangs its hat on something a little more intangible.

It’s said that the secret to a good Batanga isn’t which tequila you choose or whether you're using Mexican Coke in a classic glass bottle. The secret is what you use to stir the drink. At La Capilla, the drink is stirred with a long, wood-handle knife that was previously used to chop up limes, ingredients for guacamole, chiles for salsa, and countless other common kitchen ingredients. Those flavors are ever so slightly incorporated into the drink. The result is something cold, refreshing and so much more than the sum of its parts.

Batanga

FLAVOR PROFILE
Sweet
STRENGTH
DIFFICULTY
easy

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 oz Tequila
  • 4-6 oz Coke
  • .75 oz Lime
  • Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Step one

Run the rim of the glass with a lime wedge and then roll it in salt.

Step two

Fill the glass with ice.

Step three

Add lime juice, tequila and Coca-Cola.

Step four

Stir and garnish with a lime wedge.

Contributed by Supercall