Corona beer sales are down, but not exactly for the reason you might think

By MixDex Article may include affiliate links

Anheuser-Busch In Bev’s Constellation Brands, which owns the Corona beer and hard seltzer line, is lowering its sales expectations for the first quarter of 2020.

While the drop appears to be connected to the coronavirus outbreak, it’s not, as some outlets, including this one, previously reported because customers are getting confused over the name of the beer and virus.

Instead, it’s due to a drop in sales in China, which has been at the center of the coronavirus outbreak.

Meanwhile, the company has reportedly spent over $40 million to market its new Corona branded hard seltzer.

Of course, the beer brand has been around for years, just like the virus, which was discovered in the 1960s but recently gained notoriety thanks to an outbreak that has been extensively covered in the media. Much of that coverage has attracted criticism from the medical and scientific community.

Both the beverage brand and virus take their name from the Latin word meaning “crown” or “halo.” That word, in turn, is derived from ancient Greek for “wreath” or “garland.”

Corona beer has the image of crown on its label and the virus uses the word because of its characteristic “crown” arrangement of virions when viewed under magnification.