Batanga
Tequila, lime and Mexican cola over ice with a salted rim. Stirred with a knife, in the tradition.
- Time
- 4 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Highball
- Strength
- 1.9 UK units
How to make a Batanga
- Salt the rim. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a tall glass, then dip the rim in a saucer of salt. The salt should coat only the outside edge.
- Fill with ice. Fill the glass with ice to the top. Larger cubes melt slower.
- Add tequila and lime. Pour in the tequila and lime juice.
- Top with cola and stir. Top with cola and give it two slow stirs with a long spoon or a knife, until the glass feels cold. Garnish with the lime wedge and serve.
- Glass
- HighballNo highball? Any tall tumbler.
- Ice
- Ice cubes
- Garnish
- A lime wedge on the rimOr: A lime wheel dropped in the glass.
What you need to make a Batanga
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Citrus squeezerFresh juice makes the biggest difference of anything.
Bar spoonA long teaspoon does the job.
Bottles we'd use
- A good blanco tequilaLook for 100% agave on the label: Olmeca Altos Plata or El Jimador Blanco both work.Find it on Amazon
- Mexican colaMade with cane sugar and tastes cleaner. Mexican Coca-Cola in glass bottles is the usual choice.Find it on Amazon
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The Batanga story
The Batanga is usually credited to Don Javier Delgado Corona, who ran La Capilla, a bar in the town of Tequila in Jalisco. The story is that he stirred each one with the long knife he used to cut limes, and many bartenders still do, as a nod to him.
It is a simple drink. Tequila blanco, lime, a salted rim and cola. Mexican cola made with cane sugar tastes cleaner than the usual British kind, but any cola works. Use enough lime to cut the sweetness.
Batanga: your questions answered
What is in a Batanga?
A Batanga is made with 50 ml tequila blanco, 15 ml fresh lime juice and 100 ml cola. Garnish: a lime wedge on the rim.
How strong is a Batanga?
Made to this recipe, a Batanga contains about 1.9 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve a Batanga in?
Serve a Batanga in a highball over ice. No highball? Any tall tumbler.
