United Nations of Beer

Corona beer

by Ashley Cotter-Cairns
(UNOB Towers)

Visit the UNOB's World Beer Guide

Who hasn't had a Corona beer during their lifetime? Most often served with a slice of lime jammed into the neck; like a bouncer wearing a silk bow tie, this has the effect of cheapening the effect, rather than adding class to something ultimately lacking in quality.

Sure, Corona is clear, fizzy and refreshing. So it has that much in common with lemonade, soda water and Perrier. Corona does contain alcohol (depending on where you drink it, between 4% and 5% ABV). It shares the flat, chemical smell of most big-name beers and doesn't retain a head.

It smells mildly of hops. The taste is bitterish, but also sour, rising from an initial blandness into a burst of fizzy yet unexciting bitterness that fades slowly into a slightly off, sour finish that lingers. No wonder Corona drinkers favour lime so often.

This kind of swill is why so many people seek alcopops as an alternative to "beer". So many people don't like beer, they think, because they've never tried anything better than Corona.

Give twenty Corona regulars a decent microbrew and they wouldn't know what's hit them. Nineteen would probably run a mile, but one would crack a smile.

Corona beer survey

If you're a Corona regular, then tell me why by posting a comment. If you've tried Corona and hate it, tell me too. I'm interested in the groundswell of opinion on this subject...