Grupo Modelo

A bottle of Corona made for European export.

Grupo Modelo is a large brewery in Mexico. It maintains a large part of the Mexican beer export market and produces top-selling imported beer in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada. Its six export brands include Corona Extra, Corona Light, Negra Modelo, Modelo Especial, Modelo Light, and Pacífico.^[1] 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^[1] Grupo Modelo is 50 percent owned by Anheuser-Busch(as of July 2006) but control of the company remains with the Mexican Partners (direct descendants of the founders of the company) of Grupo Modelo. Grupo Modelo has exclusive rights in Mexico for the import and distribution of beer produced by Anheuser-Busch.^[1]

Corona

Main article: Corona (beer)

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Corona (labeled Corona Extra, but seldom referred to as such) is the top selling beer in Mexico and is one of the top-selling beers worldwide. 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, and is a pilsner. In 1926 the brewery decided to bottle the beer in quarter bottles and decided to go with clear instead of dark bottles. In 1997, Corona Extra became the top-selling imported beer in the United States, surpassing Heineken. Corona Extra and Corona Light are both popular in the United States with younger college aged students, most likely due to the "Spring Break" image associated with the beer. [1]

Corona beer is available in a variety of bottled presentations, ranging from the 250-mL ampolleta (labeled Coronita and just referred as the cuartito) up to the 940-mL Corona Familiar (known as the caguama or ballena). 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 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. However, during distribution, Corona is not typically stored in direct sunlight. Grupo Modelo, brewers of Corona, have most available quality certifications including ISO 9001 and 14001.

Corona beers are straw colored and have a very mild flavor with little if any hop bitterness. Corona contains 4.6% alcohol by volume, 148 calories, while Corona Light has 3.7% alcohol by volume, 105 calories.

See also

• Corona (beer)
• Beer
• Brewery
• Brewing
• History of beer
• Mexican beer
• María Asunción Aramburuzabala
• Category:Beer and breweries by region

External links

• Official Grupo Modelo website in English
• Official Grupo Modelo web site in Spanish
• RateBeer
• UNC research article regarding beer spoilage
• Corona Loses Trade Mark Battle
• about.com entry on mexican beer

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