Drinks Cocktails Tequila Cocktails Batanga 5.0 (3) 2 Reviews This cocktail proves why tequila and coke belong together. By Nacho Jimenez Nacho Jimenez Ignacio "Nacho" Jimenez is the co-owner of Superbueno, an award-winning Mexican American cocktail bar in New York's Lower East Side. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on May 11, 2024 Tested by Catherine Jessee Tested by Catherine Jessee Catherine Jessee is a Test Kitchen Assistant in the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios. She has tested recipes for brands including All Recipes, Eating Well, Food & Wine, Real Simple, People, and Southern Living. Prior to joining the Food Studios, she accumulated 3 years of experience cooking in restaurants. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Total Time: 1 mins The Batanga is a cocktail made with tequila, lime, and Coca-Cola served with a salted rim. It was invented in the 1960s by a restaurant owner in Mexico who named it after a customer who was “batanga” — slang for “thick in the middle” — aka “stout in appearance.” The Batanga has sweet and tart flavors with a touch of earthiness from the tequila; it comes together in a glass in minutes and can be easily scaled up for a crowd. To add a bartender-approved spin on this classic cocktail, follow Nacho Jimenez’s lead and add a splash of Fernet-Vallet, a bitter Italian liqueur, and a citrus-salt rim. Jimenez is a New York City–based bartender and co-owner of Superbueno, a Mexican American cocktail bar. His interpretation of the Batanga has a sweet and earthy taste from the tequila, plus a slightly aromatic touch from Fernet-Vallet and a punch of tartness from the lime. The 5 Best Sipping Tequilas You Can Actually Afford Why the Batanga works This easy cocktail follows the rules of a classic highball: a spirit topped with a carbonated non-alcoholic mixer. The mixer in this highball, Coca-Cola has a rich, caramel flavor-profile that adds a lot of depth to the drink and pairs with the inherent sweetness of the tequila. Freshly squeezed lime juice adds brightness to liven up this ultra-easy cocktail. To tame the sweetness from the Coca-Cola, this drink gets a salt rim and while you can certainly use plain salt, Jimenez adds four types of citrus zest to play off the fragrant, fruity notes present in the Batanga. See the note below for instructions. Ingredients Salt, for rimming glass 1/2 ounce lime juice 1 1/2 ounces tequila 4 ounces cola soft drink Garnish: lime wedge, optional Directions Rim a highball glass with salt; fill with ice. Combine ingredients in glass and stir. Option to garnish with lime wedge. Bartender Tips for an Upgraded Batanga Rim the Glass With Citrus SaltGrind ¼ cup flaky sea salt, ¾ teaspoon lemon zest. ½ teaspoon orange zest, ½ teaspoon lime zest, ¼ teaspoon grapefruit zest using a mortar and pestle until the mixture is the texture of wet sand. Citrus salt can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.Add a Splash of Fernet ValletWhen combining the ingredients in the highball glass, add up to half an ounce of Fernet Vallet liqueur for some extra complexity. Rate It Print