The USDA recently named a new public hop variety Vera (formerly HRC-3) and obviously we had to put it in an IPA so that we could get to know it. Vera was bred in 2011 with 3 main parental lineages – Brewers Gold (also a parent of Citra), a wild hop from Manitoba (wut?), and another wild hop from America that’s used frequently in breeding for its powdery mildew resistance. And it’s named after Vera Katherine Charles, one of the first woman scientists to work for the USDA in the early 1900s. Employ a new tropical/stonefruity/citrusy hop AND celebrate the advancement of women? SIGN US THE FUCK UP.  We implemented this new hop in the whirlpool and dry-hop, along with a blend of other hops to let this hop shine. The end result are notes of candied pineapple, orange marmalade, lychee, the benefits of public research and fortifying gender equality.