If Corona is your go-to beer you may not feel the need to change. If you do, you may be looking for a similar beer that meets your standards.
Corona is one of many great Mexican lagers. Other great beers to try include Tecate, Modelo Especial, and Dos Equis. Those who wish to expand their palette further should try German-style Pilsners and Blonde Ales. Similar beers will be malt-focused with hints of hop bitterness and other flavors.
There are a large number of great beers that you will like if you enjoy Corona. Keep reading to learn more as well as what new styles you might like.
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What type of beer is Corona?
Corona Extra is a very successful Mexican lager. It has been one of the top-selling imported beverages in the United States since 1998. Since its first batch in 1926, it has been proudly brewed and packaged in Mexico.
Corona is a Mexican pale adjunct lager often associated with a lime garnish. This beer is a well-known example of the Mexican lager style. Like others in the style, it is crisp, refreshing, and easily drinkable.
In addition to Corona Extra, there is Corona Light, Premier, Familiar, and a variety of hard seltzers. Though the other varieties of Corona are tasty drinks, Corona Extra remains the most popular.
Flavor profile and tasting notes
Corona is likely one of the first Mexican lagers you think of when you think of the style. This is in part because its flavor profile is a good representation of the style, unfortunately, it is also prone to skulking, especially in the bottles.
Corona tastes of malts balanced by hops with hints of honey and citrus. When garnished with a slice of lime it becomes a perfect drink for any occasion. If the beer has been overexposed to sunlight it can develop a skunk-like flavor.
It is this skunking that gives Corona such a bad name. Without it, this beer is a great drink for a good meal.
Read more about what Corona tastes like if you are interested!
Other Mexican lagers similar to Corona
While Corona is a tasty beer, it can be disappointing to some. If it almost satisfies your palette you will want to try some of these other beers.
Here are the best Mexican lagers to try if you like Corona:
- Tecate
- Modelo Especial
- Cerveza PacÃfico Clara
- Dos Equis Lager Especial
- Presidente
- Buenaveza Salt & Lime
- Victoria
- Sol
- Carta Blanca
- Estrella Jalisco
Even if you love Corona, variety is the spice of life. Branch out and you may find a beer you love even more!
Tecate
This 4.5% ABV Mexican adjunct lager will quench your thirst like no other. The brewery in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico has been making Tecate beer for over 60 years. In those 60 years, they have continued to make a great beer.
Tecate has a mild malt body with some light hop bitterness. It finishes clean and crisp. Like Corona, this is a great beer to pair with Mexican cuisine.
You can find Tecate nearly everywhere in the US.
Modelo Especial
The Modelo Group brews Modelo Especial for those with a fighting spirit.
As a Mexican lager, it shoots for a full flavor profile with a light feel. Notable flavors in this 4.4% beer are light corn, barley malt, and hints of grass.
You can find this beer year-round in most, if not all, liquor stores. It is a good beer for a hot afternoon of yard work.
Cerveza PacÃfico Clara
Better known simply as PacÃfico, this beer sits at 4.4% ABV and 18 IBUs.
PacÃfico is a light and refreshing pilsner-style Mexican Lager. Its quality barley and hops give it a bready backbone with some light fruity sweetness. The balance and finish are well done.
Luckily, these days you don’t have to rely on surfers to bring this beer to the States. You can find PacÃfico in any store that sells beer.
Dos Equis Lager Especial
Everyone who’s ever watched TV from 2006 to 2016 knows that the Most Interesting Man in the World drinks Dos Equis. And world-famous ad campaign aside, it’s a pretty good beer.
This beer is a great choice for cooling down after a long hot day. It goes well with a variety of foods. The main flavor profile is light and refreshing with some hints of corn, citrus, and hop bitterness. Dos Equis is lighter than the others on this list at 4.2% ABV and 10 IBUs.
You can find Dos Equis wherever you buy beer. It is available year-round in cans and bottles.
Presidente
Next is an adjunct lager from the Dominican Republic.
Brewed by the CervecerÃa Nacional Dominicana, this beer has 5% ABV. It is a light beer with cracker-like malt notes, corn, and some malt sweetness. Overall it is a refreshing beer without overpowering sweetness or bitterness.
Unlike most of the beers on this list, Presidente is a little harder to find. It is mostly available on the East Coast in places like New York, Massachusetts, and Florida. Check your local liquor stores to see if they sell Presidente.
Buenaveza Salt & Lime
From San Diego, California, and Stone Brewing comes Buenaveza Salt & Lime.
This 4.7% ABV lager was inspired by many of the Mexican lagers on this list. Since most of them are improved by a lime garnish, this beer aims for salt and lime flavors. This beer has definite notes of lime, salt, malt sweetness, and some light hops. Even with this full flavor profile, it still manages to be light and refreshing.
You can find it throughout the US wherever you buy beer.
Victoria
If you like Modelo, here is another beer from the Modelo Group.
Victoria is a Vienna-style lager with a slightly stronger flavor profile than some Mexican lagers. It has a 4% ABV and is malt forward. In addition to the malty flavor, there are some decent hop notes.
You can pick up a case of Victoria in nearly any liquor store across the States.
Sol
Named after the source of life as we know it, Sol is, ironically, a great beer for cooling down.
It is crisp, refreshing, and smooth. This golden beer has 4.5% ABV and 138 calories in a 12 oz. serving. The primary flavor notes include malted grains, citrus, and some fruity sweetness.
Sol is available in nearly any store that sells beer in the US. It goes well with plenty of dishes, especially Mexican cuisine.
Carta Blanca
This Mexican lager from CervecerÃa Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma has a 4.5% ABV.
It is meant to be a great beer for a long day or a tasty meal. The flavor profile is dominated by malt sweetness yet it still finishes crisp and clean.
Carta Blanca is not available everywhere, but it is available in most states. Be sure to check your local liquor store for it.
Estrella Jalisco
Last but not least is the 4.5% ABV Mexican Lager Estrella Jalisco. This refreshing beer prides itself on quenching your thirst and having a clean finish. It is slightly sweet but still has some hop bitterness.
Estrella Jalisco won’t be in every liquor store, but you can find it in select stores across the States.
Other beer styles you might like if you love Corona
If you feel like shaking up your taste buds even more you can branch out to different beer styles. Plenty of them will provide the same refreshing crispness of a good Corona.
Here are some beer styles you might like if you drink Corona:
- German-Style Pilsners
- American Light Lagers
- English-Style Bitters
- Vienna Amber Lager
- Blonde Ales
Each of these styles provides a wealth of new beers for you to try.
German-Style Pilsners
This style should be right up your alley since most Mexican lagers are inspired by German-style pilsners.
Beers in this style are characterized by moderate hops (usually noble hops), light malted breadiness, and a lack of esters or phenols. A good German-style pilsner is light and easy to drink. Typical ABVs range between 4.5-5.3%. These beers will have a higher IBU count than Corona, but similar flavor profiles.
A good commercial example is Samuel Adams Noble Pils.
American Light Lagers
If you drink Mexican lagers like Corona, chances are you’ve had some American lagers as well.
This style is characterized by light hop notes, grainy malts, with some fruity esters. Not all American lagers will have fruity notes, but it is somewhat common to the style. This style also includes the American adjunct lager that is so common in macro breweries. It is a very similar style to Corona and other Mexican Lagers. Typical American lagers will have a similar ABV to a Mexican Lager.
A good example of an American Lager is the Longboard Island lager from Kona Brewing.
English-Style Bitters
For something a little further away from Corona, but still very sessionable, go with an English bitter.
These beers are usually focused on malt flavors with some hop bitterness either low to decent depending on the beer. They will also commonly have fruity notes from esters. English bitters are typically lower in alcohol content, roughly 3-4.5% ABV. The hops and fruity notes of this style are fairly different from Corona. However, the malty base should make it less of a huge difference.
A great example of an English bitter is London Pride from Fuller’s Brewery.
Vienna Amber Lagers
Though often darker in appearance than Corona, a Vienna Style Lager is another great style to try.
It is characterized by roasted malts with a hint of malt sweetness. Hops are present but are often mild. This style is not especially high in IBUs. The ABV of this style is rather average at 4.4% to 5.5%. The primary difference between this style and Corona is the strength of the malt flavors.
A notable example of the style is Eliot Ness from Great Lakes Brewing.
Blonde Ales
Lastly, you should also give blonde ales a try if you have not.
A typical Blonde has light malt notes, light hops, and some hints of fruity esters. This style is very drinkable. IBUs for this style will be very similar to many Mexican Lagers. A Blonde Ale will likely have an ABV between 4.1% and 5.1%. This style is great for refreshing brews after a long day.
A good example of the style is Summer Love from Victory Brewing.