Corona_Sunbrew

Corona Sunbrew’s packaging is virtually identical to that of Corona Cero

Corona looks set to bring Corona Sunbrew, a 0.0% abv beer with added vitamin D to the UK.

The brand has applied to register ‘Sunbrew’ with the intellectual property office (IPO) under a class 32 covering beers, non-alcoholic beers and non-alcoholic flavoured beverages.

Intially launched by Corona in Canada in January 2022, Sunbrew contained just 60 calories and 30% of consumers’ daily vitamin D per 330ml bottle, according to Corona brand owner AB InBev.

At the time of its Canadian bow, AB InBev said Sunbrew had been developed from Corona Extra by extracting the alcohol and then blending the non-alcoholic beer with vitamin D and natural flavours.

The brand’s global vice president Felipe Ambra said the addition of vitamin D was about “reinforcing our desire to help people reconnect to nature, anytime”.

Corona also said the NPD would arrive in the UK later in 2022. However, the brand elected instead to launch Corona Cero, an alcohol-free version of its lager, which initially debuted in Mexico in 2016.

Corona Cero made its UK bow in early 2022 and has grown rapidly to become the fifth largest alcohol-free brand in retail, with sales of £9.3m [NIQ 20 January 2024].

The packaging and branding of both Corona Sunbrew and Corona Cero are near identical, with a tweak for the former likely to be necessary, should UK owner Budweiser Brewing Group (BBG) move forward with plans to introduce the line in the country.

BBG did not respond to requests for comment on its trademark activity.