Corona, Coronae, Coronam

Borrel Corona, Coronae, Coronam

In this last physical edition of the Intermania, an article of the Borrel cannot be missed. Upcoming borrel chairman Timo van Helvoort shares one of his favorite borrel drinks for the summer. Text: Timo van Helvoort, member of the BorrelCie

Imagine you are on a beach. It is hot and the sky is blue. It is about 4 o’clock and one of your friends says: “Hey, anybody wants something to drink?”. You have to be quick. Soda, too sweet. Water, too lame. White wine? Nah, kind of pretentious. Pils? Not feeling it. And then it hits you, fresh, light, and the ultimate drink for a sunny day at the

“... the ultimate

drink for a sunny

day at the beach”

beach. “I’ll have a Corona please”, you say. Everyone looks at you in awe. “That’s a great idea! I’ll have one as well”. And before you know it, 14 Corona(e) are being ordered.

Corona Extra, or just “Corona” as we know it, is a pale lager produced in Mexico. Not only is it one of the best-selling beers on the planet, but also the number one imported drink in the United States. Together with its signature slice of lime or lemon on the neck of the bottle, it makes for a bittersweet treat perfect for a hot day.

The original recipe for Corona came to Mexico from German immigrants seeking a better life in the America’s. In 1925 the, then and now, largest brewery in Mexico, Cervecreria Modelo, made its first Corona. Initially the beer would be stored in darkcolored glass bottles, just like pilsners we know today. However, they eventually decided to store it in the now famous transparent bottles. Due to the clear bottles, light is able to have more impact on the hops giving the beer a certain “light-struck” or “marijuana-like” taste, which you might recognize from other light-glass bottled beers such as Desperados.

A Corona is of course not complete without an added slice of lime or lemon. However, his slice of fruit was initially not added for the taste. Mexican farmers suffered a lot from insects during the hot summers and came up with the idea to put a slice of lime in the bottle to protect it from incoming bugs.

However, Corona is not doing so well today, due to obvious reasons. Its brewer decided to stop the production of Corona for a month after making serious loss in the months before. The pandemic might very well be the end of the Corona brand, so if you don’t want to lose this lovely beach-moment I sketched before, help them out, and buy a Corona when this is all over. Cheers!