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Craft beer can be akin to fine wine or top whiskies. Many beer drinkers say craft beer has more flavor, more alcohol by volume and the variety is endless. There are craft breweries popping up everywhere and many of the best varieties are available in Los Angeles. California has a great craft tradition including one of the first US craft breweries, Anchor Brewery in San Francisco, so you’ll be well stocked for Super Bowl 2024 and the party you’re going to throw if you decide LA is where you want to be for the big game. Offer your discerning guests only the most rare and exclusive craft beers while staying at one of the loveliest homes in the city, Villa Vita where you are within walking distance of all the Sunset Strip action.

Craft Beer is taking the US by Storm

The craft beer market is currently worth about $19.6 billion. But, what’s the big deal, really? Americans are leaning toward small and local lately and that’s where craft breweries are at. It’s also a matter of trust and more beer fans are trusting small breweries and moving away from big brewing corporations. Small brewers use traditional ingredients like malt barley giving them stronger flavors and more authenticity.

We have highlighted five of the most popular and exclusive craft brews for you and what makes them so popular and unique:

Samuel Adams’ Utopias

The 2021 Utopias offering has little carbonation and no head. This medium, full bodied brew is rich in taste with a dry, but sweet maple syrup finish. It drinks very much like a port wine or sherry with notes of dark fruit and hints of licorice. Utopias release is different each year – a blend of batches with some having spent up to 16 years aging in different woods in the barrel room of Adams’ Boston Brewery. Some of the 2021 batch also spent time in muscatel finishing casks in Portugal. The 2019 vintage was aged in Buffalo Trace barrels and finished in Aquavit, Carcavelos, Ruby Port, Cognac, and Madeira barrels.

Westvleteren 12 (XII)

Westvleteren 12 (XII) is considered by many to be the best beer in the world. That could be part of the reason getting your hands on it can prove challenging. This brew has consistently been rated the highest on popular beer review websites. Like other Westvleteren beers, it can only legally be purchased at the monastery in Belgium where it is brewed by monks or in the bar across the street. The aroma has all the big stone fruits; solid, earthy grains, and a touch of yeast spice and esters. Drinkability is out of this world. Westvleteren 12 (XII) is worthy of its multitude of praises and should be on every beer lover’s must-try list.

Russian River’s Pliny the Younger or Pliny the Elder

The Russian River Brewing Company offers two much sought-after brews – Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger. Both are teeming with hops and are a deep golden color but there are differences between the two. Pliny the Younger only surfaces once a year in February and packs more of a punch than its older brother. The Elder comes across as sweeter than the Younger and has a distinct malty backbone, while the Younger has plenty of hop flavor and a refreshing bitterness, although it is in no way overpowering. Both are worth seeking out and tasting.

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Cantillon Zwanze

One of Belgium’s oldest, most legendary lambic producers has its own self-made holiday around the beer, Cantillon Zwanze, called International Zwanze Day. In the US and around the world this day has become one of the most revered beer holidays of the year. Beer bars, breweries, and bottle shops globally pop corks and tap kegs of each year’s vintage during epic celebrations. This rare brew can develop extra tartness and fruitiness over time. The brewery suggests aging for up to 20 years – if you have that kind of willpower.

Alchemist’s Heady Topper

This is a brew every craft beer lover needs to experience. Alchemist’s Heady Topper is a double IPA-style beer that’s unpasteurized and unfiltered giving it a hazy look and a full-bodied, balanced taste. It combines a bitter bite with bright, fruity notes and a crispness pairing well with its piney undertone. This is a boozy brew that goes down easily without heaviness. In fact, it should be enjoyed right out of the can. The Alchemist says, “drinking the beer from the can helps retain its integrity once you crack the top. If you pour Heady Topper into a glass, you're inundating the beer with oxygen, which will quickly degrade the flavor.”

LVH can make sure you have the best craft beers on hand for your Super Bowl party when you stay at one of our luxury homes in Los Angeles. Surround yourself with carefully curated elegance, unrivaled amenities and unparalleled service that will exceed your expectations!