The Super Bowl is this weekend, which means that we'll all be staying up late and watching the coverage from start to...the bit where we fall asleep because it's after 4am.

Before that point, we'll probably be eating some delicious snacks and having a few beers, but while the NFL wants us to drink plenty of their official beer sponsor™, we'd rather enjoy a few nice numbers that celebrate the finer side of the art of brewing in the States.

So, with that in mind we turned to craft beer expert at Deveneys off licence in Dundrum, Ruth Deveney, for her pick of the best American craft beers so that we can celebrate all things USA in true patriotic style (miniature American flags not included). It should be noted that pretty much all of these beers are very approachable if you're used to the more commercial brands, so don't be afraid to dip your toe into the waters this weekend.  

SmuttyNose Shoals Pale Ale

From New Hampshire, this is a copper coloured pale ale that's medium bodied and hopped. "This is a pale ale that packs a punch", says Ruth, "but there are also notes of grapefruit and citrus fruit, with a hoppy crispness and a malty palate". If you're used to some of the bigger names in craft beers and haven't yet branched out to try something like this, then the Shoals Pale Ale is a nice and surprising flavour that goes great with food, in particular a nice burger.

Odell IPA

We all know that there are lots of beers that trace their heritage to high in the Rockies above Colorado, but the Odell IPA comes from Fort Collins (near enough to that same mountain range), where there are a number of great microbreweries producing some really excellent beers. This is an American style IPA, which has a highly aromatic nose and is equally bold on the palate. For Ruth, there are few American beers better than this: "There's a great blend of flavours here. You get a taste of citrus rind, pine and resin followed by a nice caramel sweetness, which is balanced with a clean hop bitterness on the finish. The benchmark of IPAs, in my opinion!"

Founders All Day IPA

As it says on the tin, this IPA from Michigan is light enough to be had all day, provided that you do so responsibly of course. It's an alluring shade of amber with a white frothy head, and while it has a strong hoppy aroma, it won't be intimidating on the palate for those who don't know much about craft beer. "The aroma is definitely hoppy, but it's also mixed with some pine notes" says Ruth, "while the flavour evokes stoned fruits, sweet caramel and malts, with an orange grassy finish".

Sierra Nevada, Pale Ale

A hugely popular ale these days, Sierra Nevada is a bit of a classic according to Ruth: "An oldie but a goodie, and on most independents shelves on a multi buy deal, so this is the perfect session craft beer". That's good news for us, since we can stock up for the big game. A more lightly coloured golden ale, you'll find that this has a "lively citrus body with nice carbonation. It's a pretty great all rounder".

There are plenty of options out there if you want to try other craft beers, and Deveneys of Dundrum can put together a selection of 12 great beers from around the world for you in their very own beerbox, perfect for any occasion, and not just the Super Bowl. They've got pretty much every beer under the sun, so you're sure to find something of interest.