Is Corona beer gluten-free?

No, Corona beer is not gluten-free. It is made using barley, which contains gluten.

This applies to all Corona beers:

• Corona Extra — contains gluten
• Corona Light — contains gluten
• Corona Premier — contains gluten
• Corona Familiar — contains gluten

This is because the gluten in the barley isn’t removed during the brewing process.
Different gluten tests of Corona beers come up with varying results, and you might see a few different stories when you ask Google “Is Corona beer gluten free?” but the official word comes from the Corona website FAQs:

DOES CORONA CONTAIN GLUTEN?

There isn’t an accepted methodology for testing gluten content in fermented beverages, so we cannot provide an accurate amount of gluten in our beers. There are traces of gluten in all our beers. We recommend that you consult your physician regarding consumption.

Corona FAQs

If you want a gluten-free beer in NZ, check our list of everything available in the country.

Alternately, you could try the Corona seltzers, which are gluten-free (though not beer!):

• Corona Hard Seltzer — gluten-free
• Corona Hard Seltzer Limonada — gluten-free
• Corona Refresca — gluten-free
• Corona Seltzerita — gluten-free

WHY IS IT SO UNCLEAR WHETHER CORONA BEER CONTAINS GLUTEN?

When you search Google, you’ll see hundreds of different answers. Some say it is fine, some say it isn’t, some aren’t sure.

This is because Corona doesn’t contain much gluten (for a beer). Traditionally light and refreshing in flavour, the barley content used in brewing is very low.

But that doesn’t mean that it is gluten-free.

The problem is that barley contains gluten. And so, while the gluten levels in Corona may be low, they aren’t zero. This means that, for some people with gluten sensitivities, even a small amount of gluten can cause problems.

So, if you’re looking for a gluten-free beer, Corona is not the best choice. There are plenty of other beers that are specifically labelled as gluten-free, so you don’t have to worry about whether you’re going to get sick after drinking them.