TikTok Goes Gaga for the Batanga Cocktail: How Tequila, Coke and a Knife Complete the Viral Drink

(Photo: El Tequileno)

Today’s viral trends work in mysterious ways. Whether it’s the Stanley Cup or a half-century-old Fleetwood Mac song, icons can be dredged up from the annuls of history with the snap of a finger on social media, suddenly thrust into the glittering pixelated spotlight.

This week, TikTok users can’t get enough of the Batanga cocktail. Though its easy-going three-part recipe is arguably less iconic than the Margarita or Paloma, the delicious drink is steeped in decades of regional lore and die-hard fans. Add to that a dangerously unconventional stirring tool.

@lui_fern

The Batanga is THE Cocktail of 2024. Nope. Not gonna hear any arguments against it. Just accept it. It’s also #BatangaWeek so get in on the action and make your own and enjoy it. – It’s a super easy cocktail to make with tons of history. It’s made even better with a killer tequila, such as the @drinkcazcanes , that I used in this one. — #cocktails #drinks #bartenders

♬ Chill R & B with a nostalgic atmosphere(967006) – table_1

At its basics, the Batanga is made with Coke, unaged blanco tequila, fresh lime and a salt rim. Given the simplicity of its recipe, one could easily classify the cocktail alongside classics like the Rum & Coke or Gin & Tonic. Though the comparison isn’t undeserved, the Batanga boasts a well-documented history more particular than its malleable counterparts.

The drink was invented in 1961 by Don Javier Delgado Corona, owner of La Capilla in the eponymous town of Tequila, Mexico. Located a few blocks from town center, La Capilla is distinguished as Tequila’s oldest continually operating bar, though ownership has since passed on to Don Javier’s sister following his passing at the age of 96 in 2020.

The man himself always served the Batanga with two signature twists. For one, the “classic” recipe is made exclusively with El Tequileno Blanco, thanks in part to an advertising campaign associated with the brand.

More importantly, the cocktail is stirred not with a spoon or a swizzle, but a freshly used knife. A knife used not only to cut the lime in the cocktail, but all manner of other kitchen ingredients found around La Capilla. Served on the right day, the Batanga is filled with a lingering swirl of fresh lime pulp, guacamole afterthoughts and floating, barely visible chiles. This is what distinguishes the cocktail from its back-to-basics contemporaries.

If you’d like to stab one up for yourself, find the recipe below:

La Batanga

Ingredients

• 2 oz Blanco Tequila
• 3 1/2 oz Coca-Cola (preferably Mexican Coke)
• 1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
• 1 pinch Salt, for rim
• Knife, for stirring

Directions

1. Drag lime wedge around the rim of a stout highball glass, then finish with salt.
2. Add Coke, tequila, lime juice and plenty of ice to a glass, stirring gently with a knife for 10-20 seconds.

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