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Soccer — or fútbol/football as many of the locals prefer to call it — has decades of unmatched, rich history in Los Angeles. The sport’s steady growth in the City of Angels has cultivated a unique culture for the city and its fans.
The18 and 1800 Tequila are teaming up to share the special fandom and taste of LA football. To create and share the taste of LA, The18’s Flavors of Football is looking at the culture of the sport in the city as inspiration to craft the perfect 1800 Cristalino LA cocktail. Fans are encouraged to share their favorite aspects of their LA fandom that they would want to see made into a Cristalino cocktail.
1. Best Fanbases In The Country
Banc of California Stadium. Photo courtesy to LAFC
The story of the sport in the city isn’t one of immediate success. The ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and even early 2000s saw different clubs struggle to make a real connection with the football fans of the city and eventually fold.
Fast-forward to 2022 and football has never been more popular.
The diversity of Los Angeles is reflected in the city’s football culture. Fans from all different backgrounds can come together as one family in LA to play and watch the sport they love. The sport appeals to all from the professional level to the pickup games around and in the city.
Gold and silver are commonly associated with riches. These are found in LA perhaps not the shiny minerals, but something more meaningful. The Black and Gold of LAFC’s fans paired with the 1800 Cristalino’s silky smooth drinkability of a silver combine for one of the richest football atmospheres in the country.
2. An Authentic And Caring Community
An outsider looking in won’t understand at first the bond behind the culture. The first clichés people think of when they hear “LA” is the classic palm trees, beaches, surfing, Hollywood etc.
The football culture runs incredibly deeper than the surface level tropes. The community of fans look after each other and create a unity that spans far longer than the 90 minutes of a game. Whether it’s through music, gaming, art or even cycling the connection to club and the Los Angeles community is ever-present.
3. An Unmatched Rivalry
Banc of California Stadium. Photo courtesy of LAFC
Los Angeles can claim the title of having the fiercest football rivalry in the country: El Tráfico. Two of the top teams in the country that consistently have the most dazzling and entertaining encounters.
The football rivalry in LA can even be described as delicious. The smooth and tantalizing play of the league’s best is like that of an 1800 Cristalino. This combined with some of the most passionate fans anywhere in the U.S. creates an annual spectacle that pulls in all American football fans.
4. Star Power
While Hollywood stars is an LA cliché, it holds up in the city’s football culture. Where else will a soccer fan find the level of celebrity ownership and star power with the likes of LAFC? The big show doesn’t only take place on the field and that’s something unique to Los Angeles’ football culture.
5. A Cathedral For The Game
Banc of California Stadium. Photo courtesy of LAFC
The continued growth of the sport in the country has seen the creation of new stadiums for professional teams. A stadium can be so much more than a simple building full of seats to watch a game. For Los Angeles fans it represents the gathering place of people from all different cultures to come together in a shared passion for an exhilarating 90 minutes.
Los Angeles’ new state of the art soccer-specific stadium, Banc of California Stadium, sits in the heart of the city and represents the culture’s heartbeat.
Seeing some of the nation’s top talent competing in a world class stadium, sipping on 1800 Tequila and surrounded by a family of the sport is what being a football fan in LA is all about at the end of the day.
These top five aspects hardly cover everything that LA football fans hold dear. If you think this list is missing something, then let your voice be heard. The18’s Flavors of Football will be crafting 1800 Cristalino cocktails with inspiration from LA’s football culture and is ready to hear from you.
Be on the lookout for curated cocktails that reflect the spirit of Los Angeles. If you want to participate or make your own Cristalino cocktails of LA, you can use the Drizly app to acquire a bottle of Cristalino and all the necessary ingredients.
