The Brewers Association’s (BA) annual Hopsource sensory event will take place in Yakima, September 23-25, 2025, at Yakima Valley Hops. Stop by between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. local time and lend your nose to new hops!

During this event, brewers and industry professionals visiting Yakima for hop selection will have a chance to assess up to 30 hop varieties. The BA encourages visitors to participate in multiple sessions, as the varieties sampled will change every day and every morning and afternoon. These varieties are currently under consideration for advancement in the esteemed United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Public Hop Breeding Program, a program backed financially by the BA.

The selection of hops available for assessment this year represents the culmination of diligent work by USDA hop breeders Dr. Kayla Altendorf and Dr. John Henning. They have identified the most promising hop lines, which will be on display for evaluation.

Brewers Supporting Public Hops

The goal of Hopsource is to assess brewer interest in experimental public hop varieties. This is part of a broader initiative to revitalize public hop research. By bridging the gap that has often existed between brewers and researchers, the aim is to enrich public hop breeding research and introduce new varieties that resonate with brewers. A recent example of the success of these collaborative efforts was the release of the public hop variety Vera in 2025.