The Batanga Cocktail Starts With A Bottle Of Coca-Cola
Few sodas have a prominence in cocktails quite like Coca-Cola. A central component in drinks like rum and coke, Long Island iced tea, and piscola, it's fair to say the sweet carbonated beverage goes well with alcohol. The soft drink's palate superbly smoothens a stiff pour in many cocktails.
For a rendition of a Coke cocktail with tequila, try sipping on a Batanga. The drink combines lime juice with a blanco expression of the liquor, mixed and topped with the soft drink over ice. There's consistently a salt rim, and to combine all components, bartenders use the lime-slicing knife, sometimes left in the tall glass.
Most accredit the drinkable and aromatic combination to cantina owner Javier Delgado Corona, known to the cocktail world as Don Javier. Operating in Tequila, Mexico, the celebrated business owner first mixed the drink sometime in the 1950s or '60s. Unfortunately, he passed recently, but his effective cocktail has become a modern-day classic. So, seek one out for an especially easy-going tequila-based sling.
The Batanga combines coke, lime and tequila into a tall drink
As with many other cocktails, the combination of components is simple, but the key can be found in the details. The original recipe favors Mexican-style Coke — which uses cane sugar — as well as small limes reminiscent of the key variety. Additionally, don't neglect the salt; it brings in a crucial extra dimension. Most commonly applied as a rim garnish, some bartenders also choose to mix in a bit with the lime juice. And the quality of the base spirit makes a significant difference, too, so purchase a reputed brand.
Beyond those details, the cocktail is malleable to reinterpretation. Firstly, there's the amount of tequila. As with other coke-based drinks, the drinks typically err on the generous side, incorporating two ounces. However, some recipes choose to decrease the amount to a classic 1.5-ounce shot.
And for more creative riffs, bartenders incorporate additional liqueurs. Whether it's a bit of spice through a small pour of Ancho Reyes or a bitter herbal character with some Fernet Vallet, the cocktail is a canvas for delicious flavors.