Several new public hop varieties were released in 2025 from the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) public hop breeding programs in Prosser, Washington, and Corvallis, Oregon, after years of industry support and investment. In this session, representatives from the Hop Research Council and Hop Quality Group join USDA-ARS hop geneticist Dr. Kayla Altendorf to share updates on these releases and their current market performance. Also, hop growers from the Pacific Northwest discuss why the availability of public hops matters and their economic impact on the supply chain.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the key differences between public and proprietary hop varieties
• Provide an overview of the USDA-ARS public hop breeding programs in Corvallis, Oregon and Prosser, Washington
• Get to know two public hops: Vera and Thora
• Explore opportunities for brewers to participate in the public hop breeding process
• Participate in hands-on sensory of Vera and Thora in both beer and raw hop form