The Hugo spritz, espresso martini and lots of different cocktails have vied for the title of drink of the summer time through the years, and as we strategy the official begin of the season, one other beverage has emerged to compete for the title.
A reasonably easy however completely balanced cocktail referred to as the batanga may be the following scorching summer time cocktail, with TikTok-famous bartenders and skilled sommeliers talking favorably of the drink.
So what precisely is a batanga, and what makes it worthy of being the drink of the summer time? We requested some cocktail specialists to interrupt it down.
What’s a batanga?
“The batanga is a simple yet refreshing cocktail made with tequila, fresh lime juice and cola, served in a glass with a salted rim,” stated bartender Lynnette Marrero, who’s a companion and chief mixologist at Delola and co-founder of the velocity bartending competitors Velocity Rack.
To make a batanga, you should first reduce a lime and use a wedge to coat the rim of a highball glass earlier than dipping it in salt (some variations name for an added pinch of salt immediately within the glass). Subsequent, squeeze recent lime juice into the glass and add ice and tequila blanco. Prime it off with cola and stir to mix.
Whereas the really helpful ingredient parts range relying on who you ask, we discovered many bartenders go along with half an oz. of lime juice, or the juice of half a lime, and about 2 ounces of tequila blanco. One of many advantages of this drink is you can tweak the ratio to your private style with out compromising its total identification.
Many describe the batanga as a tackle a cuba libre with tequila as an alternative of rum or a paloma with cola as an alternative of grapefruit. The concoction can also be generally referred to as a charro negro, although the batanga differs in its particular inclusion of salt.
Aficionados additionally suggest utilizing Mexican Coke in step with the cocktail’s origins within the Jalisco area of Mexico.
“The batanga is a very famous cocktail in the town of Tequila, and it was created by Don Javier Delgado Corona, who was the founder of La Capilla,” stated Steffin Oghene, the vp of worldwide gross sales at El Tequileño.
Regularly named one of many world’s finest bars, La Capilla is the oldest cantina in Tequila, and it was there in 1961 that Corona served his first batanga ― made with tequila blanco from the close by distillery El Tequileño.
One other essential characteristic of the batanga is the way in which it’s combined. Corona famously stirred the substances with the identical bar knife he used to chop the limes, infusing additional taste into the cocktail. In line with some accounts, that very same knife was additionally used to chop tomatoes, onions, peppers and avocados for salsa and guacamole.
The batanga is within the “changuirongo” class of cocktails, a Mexican time period referring to tequila combined with any kind of soda and generally citrus.
As for the title, batanga was slang for “stocky” or “thick in the middle,” and the cocktail’s inventor reportedly drew inspiration from an inside joke involving a sure rotund pal, the glass used to serve the drink and/or a sort of canoe.
Though he handed away in 2020 on the age of 96, Corona’s household has continued the custom of the batanga.
“For all the global bartenders, tequila lovers and tourists who go to the town of Tequila, it’s a right of passage to have a batanga,” Oghene stated.
Courtesy of El Tequileño
Why is it having a second?
“Much like the paloma variation of tequila, citrus and sweet soda, the ‘changuirongo’ style cocktails reached peak popularity in the 1940s and throughout the midcentury,” stated Bradley Thomas Stephens, vp and training chair of america Bartenders’ Guild board of administrators.
Greater than six a long time after its invention, the batanga stays a changuirongo staple for a lot of.
“It’s such an iconic cocktail within the town of Tequila,” Oghene stated. “It tastes really great, and on very hot days, it’s very refreshing and delicious.”
Though the batanga has lengthy been well-known with Tequila locals, the cocktail’s attain past Mexico has been quickly increasing in recent times.
“The drink has been popular in Europe and other regions around the globe since the ’90s, but has never fully reached the American fame it deserves,” Stephens stated. “Recently, there has been a spike in American bartenders discovering the drink, and even a tequila brand named Batanga on shelves in many states in recent years. There is a strong chance many of us will start seeing variations on menus soon.”
There are lots of potential causes for this unfold of batanga consciousness. Maybe the Coca-Cola and tequila lobbies are cornering the TikTok market, or possibly we’re simply looking for an uncomplicated different to all of the costly, elaborate cocktails on the market.
“Tequila is having a major moment, and its growth and popularity have continued to soar,” Marrero stated. “Naturally, more and more consumers will turn to classic cocktails featuring the spirit.”
For novice mixologists dabbling in at-home cocktails, perfecting tequila-based drinks like margaritas would possibly require a bit extra work. However Marrero believes the batanga affords a better different.
“The batanga is simple, requires only a few basic ingredients and it’s incredibly simple to make,” she stated. “The rise of better-for-you colas and craft ‘soda’ can also contribute to this growth.”
Marrero pointed to a rise in tequila lovers touring to Jalisco as properly.
“These trips often include visiting La Capilla, the bar where the batanga was created, resulting in the passing on of the cocktail to a wider audience,” she stated.
The journey side speaks to a bigger curiosity in meals and beverage traditions from different cultures.
“People like stories ― they like history, they like heritage, and this drink has a lot of history and heritage,” Oghene stated. “And it’s a favorite amongst locals, so people want to be involved in that experience.”
