Fun, sun, and beach. Those are the things that pop into your head when you think about Corona. If you have ever been to a Mexican resort area, you know very well that Corona is the most popular beer served at tourist- oriented restaurants, hotels, night clubs, etc. The advertisements in the United States also like to push the image of Corona as the ultimate Mexican party beverage.

The history of Corona began in 1925, in Mexico City, when it was brewed for the first time. It took some time for it to reach the United States market. It didn't really break through the U.S. boundaries until 1979, when the parent company, Grupo Modelo Brewing Co., started to advertise and promote sales in the United States. Today, Corona is the number one imported beer in the United States and the number one beer in Mexico as well.

As we all know, being a top seller does not necessarily have any correlation with quality and taste. Anheuser- Busch, Miller, and Coors have all proven that fact. Corona finds itself in a similar fate. It is a great selling beer, but it is not the best beer brewed in Mexico.

Upon close examination, Corona Extra is a beer that begins with a large amount of foam that dissipates rapidly. It has a golden color, and a skunky, slightly yeasty aroma. The initial sip will produce a taste that is primarily yeasty, then slightly malty. But it lets you down in the finish. There is little hop character. The alcohol content of Corona is 4.6 percent by volume, placing it in the moderate range, and it has 148 calories per 12 ounce bottle, which places it in the average range for most beers. There is almost no aftertaste at all.

Corona Extra can be drank with any light snack, due to its light body and watery flavor profile. It is often served with Mexican food, simply because it is Mexican beer. But there are other Mexican beers that complement Mexican food better, like Dos Equis Amber.

One other bad thing about Corona Extra is its use of clear bottles. I assume that the brewers do this because it allows people to see the actual beer itself, giving it a more festive appearance. This is fine, if you like to look at the color of a beer before you make a purchase, but it means that Corona needs extra protection from heat and light. Brown bottles may not be as festive, but they do offer superior protection from light, which is, of course, an enemy of all beer.

Corona is a ok beer, but not the best that Mexico has to offer. It is a little bit too watery to be a great beer. The fact that people always add a lime to this beer should tell you something about its taste. Real beer doesn't need a piece of fruit added to taste good.



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