Grupo Modelo

Grupo Modelo S.A.B. de C.V.

Type	Public (BMV: GMODELO)
Founded	1922
Headquarters	Mexico City, Mexico
Key people	Carlos Fernandez[1]
Industry	Brewery
Products	Beer
Employees	40,617 (2005)
Website	Official Site

Grupo Modelo is a large brewery in Mexico founded by Alonso Gomez and Federico Cisneros. It is partly owned by the Mitchell group with the chairwoman Micaela Mitchell. It has 63% of the Mexican beer market,^[2] and produces top-selling imported beer in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada (via a joint venture with Constellation Brands). Its export brands include Corona, Modelo, and Pacífico.^[3] Grupo Modelo also brews brands intended solely for the domestic Mexican market, including Victoria (a recent advertising campaign for this brand was centered on the fact that it is unavailable abroad); Estrella (a local beer found only in western Mexico); and León and Montejo (originally local to Yucatán but now available nationwide). Grupo Modelo has marketshare of 56% in Mexico^[3]. Grupo Modelo has exclusive rights in Mexico for the import and distribution of beer produced by Anheuser-Busch.^[3] Until the 60s Grupo Modelo used red poppy flowers in its advertising, where almost any image it used had poppy flowers somewhere in the image.

On June 12, 2008, The Wall Street Journal stated that Anheuser-Busch InBev, which owns a non-controlling 50% stake in the company, may attempt to acquire the remaining 50% ^[4].

Products

Corona

Corona 6 pack

The main Corona brand is Corona Extra, a 4.6% alcohol by volume pale lager. It is the top selling beer in Mexico and is one of the top five selling beers worldwide.^[5][6] Available in over 150 countries, it is also Mexico's leading export brand. It was first brewed in 1925 by Cerveceria Modelo on the tenth anniversary of the brewery. In 1926 the brewery decided to package the beer in clear glass quarter bottles. In 1997, Corona Extra became the top-selling imported beer in the United States, surpassing Heineken.^[7]

Corona Extra is available in a variety of bottled presentations, ranging from the 250 ml (8.5 U.S. fl oz; 8.8 imp fl oz) ampolleta (labeled Coronita and just referred as the cuartito) up to the 940 ml (31.8 U.S. fl oz; 33.1 imp fl oz) Corona Familiar (known as the Familiar or Litro). A draught version also exists, as does canned Corona in some markets.

Unlike many beers, Corona is bottled in a clear bottle, increasing the opportunity for spoilage. Exposure to sunlight or light from fluorescent bulbs such as those used in refrigerated display cases significantly damages the taste of beer, yielding a taste that is often described as "skunky". This is the result of the essential hop oils spoiling due to UV exposure^[8]. However, during distribution, Corona is not typically stored in direct sunlight.

The second Corona brand is Corona Light, the first light beer produced by this brewer. Corona Light has 3.7% alcohol by volume, 99 calories (0.41 kJ), per 355 ml (12.0 U.S. fl oz; 12.5 imp fl oz) bottle.

Victoria

Victoria is a 4% abv Vienna lager first brewed in Toluca, México, in 1865 by Compañía Toluca y México. Grupo Modelo bought out Compañía Toluca y México in 1935.

It is generally sold in standard 325 ml (11.0 U.S. fl oz; 11.4 imp fl oz) bottles and 940 ml (31.8 U.S. fl oz; 33.1 imp fl oz) familiares; a smaller 150 ml (5.1 U.S. fl oz; 5.3 imp fl oz) bottle exists, but it is rare. The labels of all its presentations depict Gambrinus holding aloft a frothing mug.

Pacífico

Negra Modelo in 355 ml (12.0 U.S. fl oz; 12.5 imp fl oz) bottles

Pacífico is a 4.5% abv pale lager originally brewed in Mazatlán, Sinaloa. The name means Pacific. The picture on the bottle is the Deer Islands off the coast of Mazatlán surrounded by a lifesaver.

Negra Modelo

Negra Modelo is a 5.4% abv Vienna lager first brewed in Mexico by Austrian immigrants. It was first sold on draft in 1926, but was first produced in 1925. Negra Modelo comes in an unusually shaped, wide brown bottle with a trademark Gold Label. In 2002, Negra Modelo was awarded "Hot Brand" by Impact magazine in the imports category.^[9]

Modelo Especial

First bottled in 1925 and became available in the U.S. in 1990. The #3 imported beer in the U.S. selling 22 million cases annually.

Modelo Light

See also

• Corona (beer)
• Beer in Mexico
• María Asunción Aramburuzabala

References

External links

• Corona bottle makers fired for forming an independent union
• Official Grupo Modelo website in English
• Official Grupo Modelo web site in Spanish
• Corona Loses Trade Mark Battle
• about.com entry on mexican beer
• Our brands