Espresso martinis. A “stunning” negroni sbagliato with prosecco. The sleepy girl mocktail. What do all of these drinks have in common, you might ask? Each and every one of them became a viral sensation one minute and appeared on the the menus of our favorite bars and restaurants the next.
The newest addition to the internet-famous drink club might also be the easiest to create: the Batanga cocktail. You can make one yourself by shaking together Coca-Cola, blanco tequila, and fresh lime. Pour it into a glass with a salt rim, and you're done. With its minimal steps and ingredients (all of which you probably already have), it could just take the place of your go-to rum and coke or gin and tonic.
According to Tequila Raiders, the drink was invented in none other than Tequila, Mexico, by Don Javier Delgado Corona in 1961. He allegedly served the drink with a bit of a twist; the classic recipe was made with El Tequileno Blanco, and he preferred to stir the drink with a knife that was freshly used on anything from the lime to slicing open an avocado.
That isn’t to say no one mixed coke and tequila before Don Javier Delgado Corona, and mixing it with a dirty knife certainly isn’t a requirement. Mixologists on TikTok recently rediscovered the Batanga, and creator @thelucasassis_ even called it the “official drink of 2024" in a video that now has over 56,000 likes.
“You can use whatever tequila you want for this, of course, but historically, this has always been made with El Tequileño, which is made just a short walk from [Don Javier Delgado Corono’s bar],” Assis said in his video.
Assis isn’t the only one calling the Batanga the drink of 2024. Bartender and cocktail influencer @lui_fern deemed the drink “one of the most underrated, incredible cocktails out there.” He adds that part of its appeal is that it’s “super easy to make.” @highproofpreacher, another mixologist creator on the app, said in a video with over 17,000 likes that “2024 is the year of the Batanga.”
Most of the comments under these videos are a mix of “8th video I’ve seen of this drink” and “Bro made a tequila coke.” Both sentiments hold truth—the Batanga is totally taking over #drinktok, and it is essentially a tequila coke with lime. But is there anything wrong with a reliable, simple beverage with a fascinating history getting some attention? We don't think so.