Thriving Alcohol-Free with Mocktail Mom

EP 107 Mix Up The Perfect Batanga With Mocktail Mo

• Deb, Mocktail Mom • Season 1 • Episode 107

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Hey friends! Did Dry January just fly by, or are you still cruising on that alcohol-free vibe? Either way, buckle up for a super fun episode featuring Mocktail Mo! If you missed the Mocktail Summit in January, don’t worry—today you’re getting one of the highlights: Mo’s deliciously easy Batanga mocktail.

We’re diving into this drink recipe that’s become my personal favorite (seriously, it’s been on repeat in my house), made with authentic Mexican Coca-Cola, lime, and a splash of non-alcoholic tequila. It’s the perfect combo of sweet, tart, and spicy—and so simple to whip up! 

Mo and I also chat about her mocktail must-haves - from NA wines, beers, ready-to-drinks and more! Whether you’re all-in on sobriety, sober-curious, or just looking for a fun new drink to try, this episode is packed with inspiration and flavor.

Grab your lime, salt, and glass, and let’s mix things up together! And don’t forget: if you’re craving more connection, check out the Thriving Alcohol-Free Membership for weekly “Happy Half Hours,” recipes, and an amazing community of like-minded friends. 

Cheers to thriving alcohol-free! 


Get in touch with Mocktail Mo!
Website | Instagram | Facebook
Episode 71 With Mocktail Mo


Batanga
1 Lime
Tajin seasoning (to rim your glass)
2 oz Tequila alternative
1 bottle of authentic Mexican Coca-Cola

Rim the glass with lime and Tajin (add salt to the Tajin for an extra kick). Add ice to the rimmed glass, followed by the Tequila alternative and Coca-Cola. Stir for 15-20 seconds. Garnish with a lime wedge.
*The Batanga could be made with zero or low sugar coke if someone didnt want to have the Mexican coke with sugar.

Head to The Mocktail Summit to access all the replays!

You are loved. Big Time Cheers!

Deb:

Buckle up, friends, and welcome to the Thriving Alcohol-Free Podcast. I'm your host, deb, otherwise known as Mocktail Mom, a retired wine drinker that finally got sick and tired of spinning on life's broken record called Detox to Retox. Let this podcast be an encouragement to you. If alcohol is maybe a form of self-care for you, where you find yourself dragging through the day waiting to pour another glass, I am excited to share with you the fun of discovering new things to drink when you aren't drinking and the joy of waking up each day without a hangover. It is an honor to serve as your sober, fun guide. So sit back and relax or keep doing whatever it is you're doing. This show is produced for you with love from the great state of Kentucky. Thanks so much for being here and big time cheers. Okay, hey friends, it's Deb. Welcome back to Thriving Alcohol-Free. How are you? Welcome? Welcome, we have a special episode today. Happy February. Maybe you just did dry January. How did it go? How did it go? Are you carrying on? Are you keeping on? I did dry January four years ago. I didn't think I'd make it to the first weekend, but I did, and then I just felt so good by the end of the month. I was like maybe I'll just, maybe I'll keep going in February, maybe we'll see how this goes. It's gone pretty well. So here I am, four plus years in and so grateful. So today's episode super special.

Deb:

If you missed the Mocktail Summit, this episode is for you. Or if you were at the Mocktail Summit, maybe you missed this segment. This is with Mocktail Mo. This is a recording that I did with Mo. Mocktailmo is her Instagram handle.

Deb:

She was a guest on the podcast last year. During the podcast when we recorded together, she mentioned this drink called a Batanga. It's one of her favorites and I was like a Batanga I've had this drink on repeat. It is so stinking good, so delicious and so easy. So those are basically my criteria for a mocktail easy and delicious. So this is one of them. I've had it on repeat. I've been drinking this so many times since she and I recorded together. I think we recorded in like October, november, but so good, so you're going to get to hear us make the drink and then Mo will also share some of her favorites, which was something at the summit that I did. I asked each of the presenters what their favorite like non-alcoholic spirit, non-alcoholic wine, alcohol-free beer and their favorite ready to drink. So if you grab a pass for the all-access pass, if you grab, like, a replay pass, you'll get the downloadable that has all the presenters' favorites. So if you're wondering, like, what the heck to drink, that's the list, that's the gold list of like what all the presenters, what all the mocktail influencers are drinking. So, anyway, so Mo shares that at the very end.

Deb:

What else do I want to tell you guys? Oh, I want to tell you In my membership which I rarely ever talk about, but I have to talk about this more because you know what I don't know why I don't tell you. I don't know why I don't tell you, but every week I host a happy half hour. So if you would like to connect, if you would like to meet other women who are also drinking mocktails not everybody's sober you don't have to be sober, not everybody's, even a mom. So if you want to join the Mocktail Mom membership and just drink mocktails on a regular basis with some new friends, please join us.

Deb:

Thrivingalcoholfreecom is the name of my membership and we'd love to have you In February. We're actually featuring mocktail recipes that all use an aperitif. So sometimes we feature mocktails that are like no, they don't have an alcohol-free spirit in it, but I'm just trying to streamline it a little bit to make it easier so that members don't have to buy a tequila bottle and a whiskey bottle and not alcohol, obviously. So this month we are featuring mocktail recipes using aperitifs. So there you go, something new we're all going to learn together and it's really. It's just a community where people can connect, support one another on their mocktail journey, sober journey or sober curious journey, or some people are zebra strip drinkers and that's great. That works for you. That's great. Didn't work for me. I'm not a moderator. I found out I wasn't a moderator. Anyway, just want to let you know what's happening.

Deb:

This is this episode and then coming up, the next few episodes are all going to be interviews. We're going back to a little bit of interview style that I typically do, that I love, so we get to make some new friends together. I'm going to have some people on Mocktail influencers and some sober coaches and alcohol-free specialists who are going to be sharing their stories and sharing their tips and tricks with all of us. So we'll all get to make some new friends together I've never met a stranger and sharing their tips and tricks with all of us, so we'll all get to make some new friends together. I've never met a stranger. That's. One of my favorite things about the podcast actually is just connecting with other people in this space, or whether they're doing mocktails or they're sober coaches. That is one of my favorite things is kind of hearing their story and sharing their stories with you. So, okay, that's it.

Deb:

Happy February. I hope you're doing great for you. Please let me know, deb at mocktailmomcom. I am cheering you on with lots and lots of love. Talk to you soon. Okay, you guys are in for a treat. Right now I am with Mocktail Mo. If you don't know her, make sure you're following her on Instagram mocktailmo Mo. Welcome to the Mocktail Summit. How are you?

Mocktail Mo:

I'm wonderful. Hi everybody, it's really good to be here. I'm excited.

Deb:

I am so happy you're here this year. I'm so excited you came on my podcast, thriving Alcohol-Free, episode 71. So I would love for everybody, if they want to hear your story, your background, to take a listen. I have followed you since very, very early in my alcohol-free journey back in January well, end of December 2020. But I have followed you. You were one of the first alcohol free accounts that I followed Mocktail Accounts and you just you do so much for this space and for this community. Anyway, it's just such. I'm so, so happy you're here, but I want to share your bio so everybody knows who you are. So I'm going to read this, read your bio, and then we're going to make a tanga. Is that right? This is the drink. Yes, yes, am I saying it right? Okay, you told me about this drink. You told me about this drink on the podcast that we did together and I was like I've never had it. So I'm excited to make this together, okay, mocktail.

Deb:

Mo is an alcohol free culture advocate who's kept her finger on the pulse of the alcohol free lifestyle industry since they began to take off in the United States in 2019. Since then, mo has made it her mission to bust down the walls that divide those who abstain from alcohol for any reason, and conventional hospitality. She firmly believes that there is equal room at the table for those who enjoy a quality adult beverage, no matter the proof. I love that. You can find her on Instagram at mocktailmo, or her website mocktailmocom, so make sure you're all following along. Okay, website mocktailmocom, so make sure you're all following along. Okay, this is a fun drink. Okay, I actually had to go to like a little Mexican store not far from my house, actually in the town I live in Crestwood, kentucky, and we are making this with an authentic Mexican Coca-Cola. Is that right?

Mocktail Mo:

Yes, definitely that is the star of the show in this drink. You do have to sort of track one down, and the reason is, I think, in my opinion, it's first of all to make it more authentic and then second of all, because it's made with actual sugar and not a bunch of chemicals. It has sort of a softer flavor, it's not so acidic. So you'll see, you'll see, it just balances everything so well. Okay, do you want to tell?

Deb:

us a little bit about the Batanga, a little bit about this drink, and how did you get into making Batangas Like what got you? Did you used to drink these beforehand, before you became alcohol free?

Mocktail Mo:

No, I'd never heard of them before. And then, I think last year, I saw a few people making them online and I thought well, that sounds really interesting and easy. This is not a difficult drink and I made one and I fell immediately in love with it. And whenever I have Mexican food I make batangas. It just complements everything so nicely and it's just. It's a fun drink, it's just really great and it's sort of but in my opinion, much better than a rum and coke. A rum and coke is sort of sweet and sweet and a batanga combines sweet, tart, salty and then just a little astringency with the tequila, so you get a lot more flavor. In my opinion I like it better. And so the history of the batanga excuse me for my glasses, but the history of the botanical.

Deb:

Let me get my readers too.

Mocktail Mo:

It was created in 1961 in Tequila, mexico, by Don Javier Delgado Corona, owner and bartender of La Capilla, which is the capital. So it was a drink made in a bar in Mexico with tequila and Coca-Cola and I think it's called a Batanga because of the glass they used. I personally don't like that kind of glass. It's sort of a tall Collins kind of situation. I prefer a rocks glass. I like it better. I like the bubbles in it better.

Deb:

Okay, yep, and I've got something similar. Okay yeah, nice.

Mocktail Mo:

Like that, that size, then it stays fresh and you can get and you know it's just better. I like it better in a smaller glass. Do you want to get into it? Are you ready?

Deb:

You ready? Want to make a drink? Shall we make a drink together, let's make a drink together. I love easy drinks, you know, not a lot of ingredients, and I love that it has a lot of good flavors. So I'm super excited to try this.

Mocktail Mo:

I haven't made this one, so you will love it. You will love it. So I start by rimming the glass and I use Trader Joe's, so tajin. But this is just there you go.

Deb:

Trader Joe's version. I have that one, and then I also have tajin. Okay, yep, perfect, okay, so we're going to put that what like?

Mocktail Mo:

on a plate, like I put a little bit of the tahini on a plate. Yes, I have it in a little flat ramekin kind of thing and a little salt. So you start with that, you start by rimming your glass and you, you know, rub a little bit of lime juice. Did you add salt?

Deb:

to this. I did. Yes. Okay, let me do that. I'm going to go ahead and add some sea salt, is that all right?

Mocktail Mo:

Yes, so I'm going to.

Deb:

Okay, and you're rimming the glass, so you're just taking the lime, you're rubbing it around the edge of the glass.

Mocktail Mo:

So for somebody who's maybe never done this before, yes, sticky, so that the powder that you're adding to it, the spices, the salt, will actually adhere to the glass. Nice, and it will look a little something like that.

Deb:

See, okay, I see that. Okay, let me see if I can get. So we're just going to rim the glass here. Yes, and this is just if you've never done this before. I mean, I was a wine drinker. I wasn't making cocktails at home, I wasn't doing, I wasn't rimming any glasses.

Mocktail Mo:

Right, right, I didn't either, until I stopped drinking alcohol and then I started making cocktails galore. Okay, so you've got your glass. It's rimmed. You put some ice in there. This is a drink that you build in the glass, which makes it even easier. There's no shaker, there's no super fanciness. I think the hardest part, honestly, is locating the authentic Mexican Coca-Cola.

Deb:

I think you're right, seriously, I think you're right. Yeah, it can be, depending on where you are. You could order it online. I guess Not cheap, though I did did look on Amazon so I was like, oh, maybe see what they have on here, and it was like you had to order like a couple of them. So, but you could, I guess, if you you know, if you can't find it in your, in your area, but okay, yes, so you might have to go to a special market to get the authentic Mexican Coca Cola. Okay, I'm opening this up. Hopefully it doesn't go everywhere. Hopefully I didn't shake it. Okay, we're good.

Mocktail Mo:

Okay, all right, so put that aside for a second and what we will do is add two ounces of tequila alternative. I see that you have Trejos and I am using today. I'm using Ritual.

Deb:

Nice.

Mocktail Mo:

Tequila alternative.

Deb:

I love the Ritual. I do, too. So many different options. The Ritual was the first one that I ever used. Yeah, it's kind of my first love of the non-alcoholic tequilas Me too.

Mocktail Mo:

Okay, and now we add, basically, squeeze half a lime in there. I really like it's limey. So if you don't, it's limey, so if you don't like a lot of lime juice, you know, squeeze a quarter of a lime or whatever.

Deb:

It's up to you. I love lime, so I could put in even more.

Mocktail Mo:

Yeah, I do too. I really love lime. And it complements the soda really well.

Deb:

Okay, perfect, okay, lime is in.

Mocktail Mo:

Okay, and now you pour in your Coca-Cola.

Deb:

Do you measure out your Coca-Cola or you just pour it in? I just pour it in.

Mocktail Mo:

And then here's the other part that makes it so much fun. Okay, the knife that you use to cut the lime is the knife that you use to stir the drink, which you know you may not be shaking it, but you're doing something fancy here. I don't know why but it's fun.

Deb:

Why? Okay, cause I it's so funny? Cause I actually had brought in my bar spoon. I was like, oh wait, no, the recipe calls for using um to stir with the knife. That you might work with, or that you, that you cut the line with with.

Mocktail Mo:

I could probably make something up and say that it is to keep the lime juice, I don't know whatever. So anyway, I pop on a lime, add a couple of straws and voila.

Deb:

Okay, oh, my gosh, big time cheers Mo, cheers everybody, cheers to you. Thank you for coming in, thank you, thank you, yes, cheers to everybody. I hope you love this. Okay, let's try it. Very nice, the batanga, okay now try it.

Mocktail Mo:

It's really good, not so fancy, with a straw Off the side, with the tahini in it, and it makes it even better. It'll have a little spice.

Deb:

Okay in it and it makes it even better. It'll have a little spice. Okay, that makes it even better. It does. It does, that makes it even better, okay. So, yes, anybody, if you're brand brand new to making mocktails, if you rim like a margarita or your batanga right With some spice, it just kicks up every sip and then, as you sip around, every sip has that. I actually like it with the added salt. Yeah, yeah, I've never done that. I've never added salt to my tajin.

Mocktail Mo:

Oh yeah, absolutely. It just brings all of the wonderful things together. It hits all the parts of your tongue with the sour, the sweet, the salty, the tequila, it all kind of comes together so well Tajin and salt around the rim.

Deb:

but you know, rim it with the lime and then tajin and salt, or the chili lime from Trader Joe's. That is fantastic. That makes every sip 10 out of 10.

Mocktail Mo:

I know right. It makes you want to put down your Cuba Libre and never pick it up again.

Deb:

Yeah, yeah, give your Cuba Libre a break here. Drink your Batanga. That is so good. Okay, we have other things to talk about while we're still here. I love that. Thank you, I will be drinking this, boy. If you're having like Mexican food, you're having like chips and salsa, this is what you want to be sipping on. This is like that's really good For sure. Okay, thank you, you made me a fan. Oh yeah, it's easy, it's such a great drink.

Deb:

It's so easy, so easy. I love that. Easy and delicious, you cannot go wrong. Okay, something I ask all of our guests this year is we're going to do a name your favorites. We're going to have a good time here. I'm going to ask you, mo, if you are walking into a store and you only have enough money to purchase one non-alcoholic spirit and all of them are there that you love which one would you purchase? What's your favorite non-alcoholic spirit today? I know it changes and I know there's many.

Mocktail Mo:

Well, the one that I just keep going back to, honestly, is Ritual Te tequila I don't blame you, yep, it's delicious it is, it is. It's a good staple to have on hand. I do like lean company rum oh okay, uh-huh I find that it really um, that has tenacity in a glass. When you mix it with other things, you can still taste it. It doesn't really go away, which I appreciate that.

Deb:

I like that Tenacity in a glass. You need to come up with a tenacity in a glass.

Mocktail Mo:

Okay, non-alcoholic beer beer, oh my goodness. Oh, that is so hard. I just tried a porter by Deschutes that was mind-blowingly good. And athletic copper ale is really amazing. And then I'm. You know, I'm very fond of IPAs, so almost all IPAs. All IPAs Okay, good to know I love them. How about?

Deb:

a non-alcoholic wine, alcohol-free wine.

Mocktail Mo:

Okay, I just tried Sovi's orange wine, so it's sparkling. I haven't tried that one. It is not a rosé. It may look a little bit on that side but it's got more tannins involved and I think it's because it spends more time with the skin of the grape so it casts that sort of orange color. But it is less fruity than your rosés generally. But I love rosé, but this is a little bit different and I really kind of loved it.

Deb:

Nice. Okay, don't you love that when you try a new non-alcoholic wine and you love it Like I've had a couple of those recently and I'm like, oh my gosh, this is so good and I feel like they just keep getting better and better as we continue on in this world of alcohol-free drinks?

Mocktail Mo:

I agree because wines had the most room to improve. In the beginning they were really not good and definitely now I have had quite a few that you definitely come back to you want to have with your meal. They're perfectly enjoyable Sauvie is amazing. Oddbird is really great too. St Viviana is amazing.

Deb:

All right, and then last question ready to drink an RTD? What's the RTD that you reach for the most, or that's one of your favorites?

Mocktail Mo:

I think it's the one that you just tried, which is the Edna's. I love Edna's.

Deb:

This is the Edna's non-alcoholic cocktails. Yes, okay, the Mojito, the Collins and the Mule. Those were our top three. I think they have five, which all really good, but those three were the top. My daughter and I tried them, lily.

Mocktail Mo:

My favorite is the one that was the last on your list, which was the Mescalita was my favorite, but I love Smokey, I love all of that. Okay, yep, yep, and the Paloma had a little bit of a flavor to me, but you know whaty I love that.

Deb:

I love all of that. Okay, yep, yep, and the Paloma had like a little bit of a flower flavor to me, but you know what I love? Okay, I actually love that. I love that, like, the one that we liked the least is your favorite, because I think that's such a good example that, just because somebody else says like I don't like that, it's just, it's just not their thing, and there were, yeah, I love that. Okay, I'm actually really glad that that was your favorite and we loved the other three of the other ones we picked as our top three. Really good cans. Yeah, edna's non-alcoholic cocktails, they're called is what they're called.

Mocktail Mo:

But really good. Yeah, they are really really good, and I think part of it is the teensy bit of vinegar that is involved in it. I think that brings the flavor profile up really nicely. It makes it, because usually I open up a ready to drink and I want to tinker with it, I want to fool around with it. But with Edna's I really didn't want to.

Deb:

Yeah, it's like it's really ready to go. It's the ready to ready to go.

Mocktail Mo:

Ready, ready to drink? Yes, doesn't need anything.

Deb:

Doesn't need any fixing, doesn't need any fixing up. Yes, right, I'm so glad you said Edna's. I'm really glad to hear that, because we had just we had just been drinking, tasting those, my daughter Lily and I. So, yeah, very fun. Okay, this is delicious. Thank you for coming in to make the Batanga the non-alcoholic Batanga.

Deb:

Cheers to you, mo, and everything that you're doing in Arkansas and for the sober community and the Mocktail community on Instagram. If you're not following Mo, make sure you're following her on Mocktailmo. Our Instagram handle is like one letter apart. Right, I'm Mocktailmom. Yes, you were there first. You're the OG Mocktailmo. So everybody follow along and thank you. Thank you for being here. I so so appreciate it. Big time. Cheers to you for tuning in to the Thriving Alcohol-Free Podcast. I hope you will take something from today's episode and make one small change that will help you to thrive and have fun in life without alcohol. If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to help support the podcast, please share it with others, post about it on social, send up a flare or leave a rating and a review. I am cheering for you as you discover the next episode.