What Kind Of Beer Is Corona?

Whether you're in tune with the world of beers or not, it's hard to go very long without hearing about Corona beer –- it's just that ubiquitous. Corona is one of the best-selling imported beers in the United States, and its unmistakable logo is advertised at a near-constant rate. You may be familiar with it being a great partner for spicy food, or even as being a solid beer to use in a Mexican michelada, but what kind of beer is Corona, really? And how does it differentiate itself from its domestically-brewed counterparts?

The simplest answer is that Corona is a Mexican lager –- the Corona brand itself even states as much in detailing their offerings. "Mexican lager" isn't exactly a standardized term in the brewing industry so much as it's a rough target with a few distinguishing features that separate it from traditional American beers. Mexican lagers tend to be fairly clear and light, with a clean and crisp presentation. This type, categorized as a "clara," is the most common kind of Mexican lager you're likely to encounter, and Corona fits into this category. Mexican lagers also tend to differ from their American counterparts in featuring flaked maize (or some other corn-based component) in their mash. Besides this, Mexican lager (and by extension, Corona) shares a storied past as an evolution of western-to-central European brewing practices that have changed and adapted to the "new world," giving you the refreshing beer loved by millions today.

Sometimes it can be hard to separate regular domestic beers from smaller craft beers, since they often have some similarities or overlapping qualities. The same idea applies when you delve into a particular brand such as Corona too. On the whole, Corona products maintain the broad "Mexican lager" classification, but the brand nonetheless offers several variations on their beloved beer.

Since its inception in 1925, Corona's flagship beer has been its standard Mexican lager -– today that one product is known as Corona Extra. Nowadays, the company makes several iterations of the classic lager such as Corona Light (a lower-calorie, lower ABV option that's been around since the 1980s), Corona Premier (a 90-cal, 2.6-carb beer), Corona Familiar (which emphasizes full-bodied flavors and a slightly higher ABV), and of course Corona non-alcoholic. All of these share common ground in their fruit notes, with all except Corona Familiar having a honey note –- Familiar instead opts for a maltier taste. Besides these, Corona also crafts Corona Sunbrew, a fruitier beer made with orange and lime that fits right in alongside some grilled summertime dishes. Corona has also entered the hard seltzer market, concocting four flavors of traditional hard seltzer alongside four distinct "seltzeritas" –- a hard seltzer with margarita-inspired influences. And if that's not your thing, you can always try out one of the several flavors of Corona Refresca hard punch. Corona has come a long way since its beer-exclusive inception, and it's no surprise its iconic crown is such a recognizable logo today.