This is why you drink Corona beer with a slice of lemon

Yesterday I ordered a Corona and it was served without a slice of lemon in the neck of the bottle. Turns out that was extremely old-school, and for this reason. 

Tequila and Corona aren’t complete for me without lemon. I thought a lemon wedge was always added for the flavor, but ha: it turns out there’s an important reason for it. In the past, the lemon wasn’t about the flavor, but about hygiene.

Necessary

Back then, Corona was also drunk straight from the bottle rather than from a glass. But while beer is bottled in spotless facilities nowadays, it used to happen in rather dusty places such as cellars and sheds. As a matter of necessity, people first had to disinfect and dust off the bottle before taking their first sip. And they did that with—yes, you guessed it: lemon.

A trick?

Nowadays, that is no longer necessary, but the little lemon is still there. As mentioned, it adds extra flavor, but it also seems to be a good marketing trick. People often associate citrus fruits with sun, sea and beach, which makes the refreshing beer look extra exotic and tempting on a scorching hot summer day.

Also read:

• Buying craft beer at the supermarket: what to look out for
• Are beer drinkers bitten by mosquitoes more often?
• Return your empty beer bottles quickly to prevent problems