Coronavirus might mean less Corona beer on Cinco de Mayo

Production stoppage, fears of contracting virus could be problematic for the traditionally dominant beer of Cinco de Mayo

Photo by Tim Boyle (Getty)

It’s like peanut butter and jelly: they go hand in hand.

Or gas and engines, or Black Friday and shopping.

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But we’re referring to Corona beer and Cinco de Mayo. Except this year might be different.

In 2020, there might be some separation -- more than ever before in the past, and that could trickle into the future, as well.

Typically, the dominant choice of beer for those celebrating Cinco de Mayo is Corona.

But Corona likely will be consumed way less than usual due to the coronavirus pandemic, that is unrelated in name. In February, a report in the Denver Post said Corona was taking a public relations hit due to people fearing they would get coronavirus by drinking Corona.

However, the makers of Corona, Constellation Brands, in March said sales of the beer were up 5% in the U.S. as of a period that ended Feb. 16.

But the news looked bad at the start of April, when it was announced that production of Corona would be temporarily suspended because the Mexican government shut down non-essential businesses, according to CNN.

That declaration was up until April 30, but that still left little time to ramp up production before Cinco de Mayo.

So, just how big of a deal is Corona on Cinco de Mayo?

Cinco de Mayo has surpassed St. Patrick’s Day and the Super Bowl for beer consumption on one day, with Corona virtually holding a monopoly on advertising and sales for beer on Cinco de Mayo, according to Loop Insights.

And how much will a production stoppage and unfounded fears that people will get the virus by drinking Corona have on consumption of the beverage this year?

It’s hard to say.

The party will go on, but just like most things during the pandemic, it likely won’t be the same.


About the Author:

Keith is a member of Graham Media Group's Digital Content Team, which produces content for all the company's news websites.