After AB InBev launched a non-alcoholic version of its successful Corona Extra beer in Europe, Canada and Mexico last year (inside.beer, 17.2.2022), Constellations Brands is now following suit for the beer's main sales market in the United States.
The oddity that there is a different product in the US than in the rest of the world stems from the fact that in 2016 AB InBev had to license a range of its most successful Mexican beers to Constellation Brands in order to clear its merger with SAB Miller. Since that time, the brand has been brewed in Mexico by Constellation Brands for the US and by AB InBev for the rest of the world.
While AB InBev’s products Corona Cero and Corona Sunbrew 0.0% (with added vitamin D) have 0.0% alcohol, Constellation Brands’ new Corona Non-Alcoholic has “less than 0.5% alcohol by volume”.
Corona Non-Alcoholic is available across the United States in packs of six 12-ounce glass bottles. Identifiable by its light-blue label and cap, Corona Non-Alcoholic is line-priced with Corona Extra.
Each bottle of Corona Non-Alcoholic is brewed at the same state-of-the-art production facility in Mexico as Corona Extra and uses the same brewing process, according to a press statement. Constellations Brands encourages consumers to sip Corona Non-Alcoholic like Corona Extra with a lime slice “to maximize enjoyment”.
According to recent data, 15% of U.S. adults 21 and over have chosen to reduce their drinking in the past two years, and 60% of these “New Reducers” are under 35. As more people approach drinking with increased mindfulness and moderation, Corona is excited to add a non-alcoholic option to the family.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Corona Non-Alcoholic to our beloved family of brands and offer a new way to live La Vida Más Fina that doesn’t sacrifice taste,” said Alex Schultz, Vice President, Brand Marketing, Corona Brand Family at Constellation Brands. “This innovation embraces the broadened mindset of our consumers and ensures that we have the perfect beer, no matter the occasion.”
The Corona brand family in the United States is home to Corona Extra, Corona Light, Corona Familiar, Corona Premier, Corona Refresca, Corona Hard Seltzer and Corona Non-Alcoholic. The entire Corona portfolio is brewed in Mexico by Constellation Brands and imported and marketed exclusively to the U.S. by the company. Corona Extra, the flagship brand of the Corona brand family, is a pilsner-style lager with a golden hue that was first brewed in Mexico in 1925. Corona embodies “La Vida Más Fina” or “The Fine Life” as a modern expression of the brand’s lifestyle. According to the producer “the refreshing flavor and carefree attitude of Corona Extra holds a respected place in U.S. culture as the #1 most loved beer brand.”
