Vera Hops

Vera is a brand‑new aroma hop from the USDA‑ARS breeding program in Prosser, Washington, released in partnership with the Hop Research Council. It's a diploid female variety bred in 2011 from Brewers Gold crossed with a wild American male, and it was finalized and released by USDA‑ARS after trials in Washington and Idaho. The name honors Vera Katherine Charles, an early USDA mycologist who helped build the National Fungus Collection, since this hop is notably resistant to hop powdery mildew and has good disease and pest tolerance.

For your homebrew, think of Vera as a modern, fruit‑forward aroma hop. Sensory data and brewer feedback describe it as strongly tropical and stone‑fruity with bright citrus, often compared to pineapple candy. With low alpha acids around 4–6% and oils roughly 0.8–1.3 mL/100g it's best used as a late addition and dry hopping, for example in Hazy IPAs, modern Pale Ales, and hoppy lagers (Mexican Lagers and other fruit‑forward lagers). It can work as a single hop in juicy styles, but it may really shine as a top‑note partner layered over a more citrus‑resin base (think pairing with Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, or a neutral bittering hop).