It began simply with idiots online somehow thinking that the mass-market Mexican lager Corona had something to do with the novel coronavirus, just because they happen to share portions of the same name. But now, fantasy has almost become reality, as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has actually resulted in a temporary halt to Corona beer production. On Thursday, Mexico’s Grupo Modelo (part of Anheuser-Busch InBev) said it would temporarily suspend Corona production, along with other beers, after the Mexican government deemed the brewery’s activities non-essential.
Grupo Modelo’s beers are distributed and exported to more than 180 countries around the world, with Corona as its most visible flagship. The suspension could mean that once stores are sold through in the U.S., the Mexican lager temporarily disappears from the shelves. The company is eager to get back to business, however.
“If the federal government considers it appropriate to issue some clarification confirming beer as an agro-industrial product, at Grupo Modelo we are ready to execute a plan with more than 75% of our staff working from home and at the same time guaranteeing the supply of beer,” reads a statement from Grupo Modelo.
The Mexican government, like so many others worldwide, has declared a health emergency thanks to the pandemic, and ordered the halt of non-essential activities as cases of the virus continue to rise.
Our real cause for concern, here? Grupo Modelo also manufactures the much superior Pacifico, which finished just off the podium in our blind tasting tournament of 16 Mexican lagers. Corona, we can live without. But a world without Pacifico? That’s not something we want to imagine.