Batanga

It does. Mexican Coke made with cane sugar tastes cleaner against tequila than the corn-syrup version, which goes slightly sticky. Diet cola is a bad idea here: without real sugar there is nothing to carry the salt, and it turns metallic.

Half, so you can drink from either side and choose. Rub a cut lime around the outside of the rim only, then roll it in coarse salt. Salting the inside edge means grains fall in and the drink gets steadily saltier as you go.

Reposado echoes the cola's caramel and rounds everything off, which some people prefer. It also mutes the pepper and green-agave bite that makes this worth drinking. Blanco is what the drink is usually built on. Either way, insist on a hundred percent agave bottle.

That is the La Capilla signature, the same long knife used to cut limes all day. It is showmanship more than technique, and any bar spoon does the same job. What matters is one gentle lift from the bottom so the lime does not sit under the ice.

A classic Batanga calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Tequila, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Fresh lime juice, 120 ml (4 oz) Cola. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

A standard Batanga is roughly 10% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it a relatively light, sessionable drink — similar in strength to a beer.

A Batanga is built directly in the glass over ice — no shaker required. Add the ingredients in order and give it a brief, gentle stir.