Corona Extra was born in 1925 at the Cervecería Modelo brewery in Mexico City. For decades, it was proudly Mexican, a crisp lager that practically screamed “beach vacation.” Then, in 2013, a global beer giant named Anheuser-Busch InBev (that’s the Belgian-Brazilian conglomerate that owns Budweiser) bought Grupo Modelo for a staggering $20.1 billion.
Yes, the same folks who bring you Bud Light and Stella Artois now own your favorite lime-and-salt ritual. It’s like finding out your cool, laid-back neighbor is secretly a multinational corporation in a suit. The twist? AB InBev actually had to sell the U.S. rights to Corona to a different company—Constellation Brands—to satisfy antitrust regulators. So in America, Corona is technically owned by a New York-based wine and spirits giant that also makes Modelo Especial and Svedka Vodka. Confused yet? Good.
The British Connection Nobody Talks About
Here’s where it gets delightfully weird. The original Cervecería Modelo was founded by a Spanish immigrant, but the biggest shareholder in AB InBev is a Brazilian billionaire named Jorge Paulo Lemann. However, the company’s global headquarters is in Leuven, Belgium. So, a Brazilian-led, Belgium-based company owns the Mexican beer. But wait—there’s less! The actual brewing of Corona for the U.S. market happens in Mexico, but the ownership chain runs through Belgium, Brazil, and New York.
Think of it as a diplomatic handshake between a sombrero, a waffle, and a samba dancer. Oh, and the CEO of AB InBev, Michel Doukeris, is a Brazilian who studied in the U.S. So really, Corona is everyone’s beer and no one’s beer—like that stray dog that sleeps on three different porches.
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