The Batanga is a simple, refreshing cocktail made with tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice, and cola, traditionally served over ice in a highball glass and garnished with a lime wedge. Its flavour is bright and slightly salty if a salted rim is used, with the cola adding caramel sweetness that softens the tequila’s bite, think Mexico’s cheeky cousin to the cuba libre, dressed down for a sunny afternoon. The drink is stirred gently rather than shaken, preserving the fizzy lift of the cola and creating an easy drinking, crowd pleasing tipple.

The Batanga originates from the coastal town of Tequila, well, not the town of Tequila itself but from the Mexican state of Jalisco, where tequila heritage runs deep. It was created in the 1960s by Don Javier, the legendary owner of La Capilla bar in Tequila, Mexico. What makes the Batanga special is the addition of the knife used to cut the cirtus, something Don was famous for. The knife is used to stir down the drink and sometimes served in it as a garnish of sorts, allowing all the extra lime juice integrate into the drink whilst it gets stirred down, which references its name which means ‘thick in the middle’. Now Mexican cola is recommended, but not essential to the making, with any cola (even my homemade recipe) working well in the Batanga.