Corona beer is the best-selling, most recognizable Mexican beer, not to mention a wildly successful imported beer in a category that has become extremely popular.
Today, breweries worldwide may offer a Mexican-style beer to celebrate Cinco De Mayo or warm-weather beachy vibes.
But the OG Mexican beer remains true to its historical roots, and production continues only in Mexico. So we’ll delve more into this authentic Mexican lager and why you won’t find a Corona brewery anywhere except for Mexico.
Where was Corona Founded?
Corona was first brewed in 1925 in Mexico City at Cerveceria Modelo. The beer quickly became a player in the Mexican regional beer scene. German immigrants who had brought their brewing skills with them settled in Mexico.
The growth in these German-style lagers, which Corona emulates, worked hard to develop a following and vilify the local fermented beverage pulque made from corn. The beers of German origin became the preferred beer for tropical climates and fun at the beach, Corona, thus, became one of the most widely recognized Mexican lagers.
As a German-inspired beer took over in the country, Corona’s parent company, Modelo, competed with other beers like Tecate for market dominance.
In 1979, Corona Extra was launched in the United States. Today, Corona Beer is a top-selling imported beer brand with a portfolio of beers that includes Corona Light, Familiar, and Premier.
Production is still active at the Cerveceria Modelo brewery in Mexico City, owned by Grupo Modelo. The brewery produces Corona, Pacifico, and Modelo brands, and Grupo Modelo is also the Mexican importer of Budweiser brews, Dutch brewer Carlsberg, and Tsingtao from China.
North, in the US, Constellation Brands acquired the right to Grupo Modelo’s beer in 2013. Per Wikipedia: “The transaction included full ownership of Crown Imports LLC, which provided Constellation with complete, independent control of all aspects of the US commercial business; a brewery in Mexico; exclusive, perpetual brand license in the US to import, market and sell Corona and the Modelo brands and the freedom to develop brand extensions and innovations for the US market.
Constellation had formerly imported Corona and other Modelo brands to the United States. It acquired the US rights to those brands as a part of an anti-trust settlement permitting Modelo’s acquisition by Anheuser-Busch InBev.”
Grupo Modelo’s size makes it a major operation with mega supply chain demands requiring a significant amount of raw materials, like barley and hops, to come south from the US.
Where is Corona Brewed In Mexico?
The Anheuser Busch InBev (AB InBev)-owned Grupo Modelo operates breweries producing Corona beer and other beer brands all over Mexico. Grupo Modelo facilities are found in the following Mexican cities:
- Coahuila
- Mexico City
- Guadalajara
- Oaxaca
- Sinaloa
- Zacatecas
- Yucatán
The Zacatecas Mexican brewery location is the biggest brewery in the world and brews more than 5 Billion pints of beer annually. The grain silos onsite are 15 stories tall, equal to 200 bottles of Corona stacked on each other. Additionally, the brewery responsible for the production of Corona, Victoria, Negra Modelo, Pacifico, Bud Light, and Michelob Ultra employs over 3,000 workers packaging 6 million cans and 20 million bottles of beer EVERY DAY!
Is Corona Available Across the US?
Long a favored brand, Corona has been a top imported beer, as far as sales, since 1979. The unique shape of the glass bottle stuffed with a lime garnish has graced marketing campaigns geared toward sun-loving beer drinkers ever since.
The beer’s flavor is light and crisp with a clean, herbal hop flavor and bitterness that provides overall balance.
Is Corona Available In Other Countries?
In 2022, despite the challenges presented by a global pandemic with a similar name, the Corona brand net value was at $7 Billion. Corona is distributed to more than 120 countries. Corona consumers embrace the culture, adventure, and fun that the beer embodies. Anywhere there is a beach, BBQ, or an order of tacos to be had, you know that there will be a Corona to be had, and whether you’re in the beach state of Puerto Vallarta or Toronto, Canada, you can trust you’re drinking a beer that was made authentically in Mexico.
