Behold the Batanga!

March 29, 2026March 26, 2026 Tex Appeal staff batanga

Simple cocktail mixes tequila, cola and lime

Story and photos by JANNA ZEPP

One evening after a particularly bad day, I wanted a refreshing cocktail made with tequila but discovered my home bar devoid of my favorite mixers. I was momentarily bereft of hope. I had tequila but needed a soft landing for it.

Undeterred, I discovered lone bottle of a nationally renowned soft drink in my refrigerator.

Could I mix tequila and Coca Cola?

I turned to Google and learned that, indeed I could, with a splash of lime juice, which I had. The concoction, described as the Mexican Cuba Libre, even had a name: Batanga!

Using the tools at hand, I made the drink and was impressed. It was delicious.

Don Javier Delgado Corona owner of La Capilla in Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico, gets credit for having created the drink in 1961. He claims to have named it after a rather portly tourist at the bar. Don Javier stirred the drink with a long, wood-handle knife used to chop up limes, ingredients for guacamole, chiles for salsa and many other common kitchen ingredients, which lends a touch of those flavors to the mix. Rather than disguising the flavor of the tequila, the ingredients actually showcase it, making it even more enjoyable.

I ordered a Batanga at Bo’s Barn in Temple on Friday evening to take photos for this story. The mixologist thought I was crazy, but did her best and she made it perfectly.

Rather than disguising the flavor of the tequila, the ingredients actually showcase it.