(Courtesy Markus Spiske / Unsplash)

Say hello to Vera, a new aromatic hop variety, which is now generating some bigtime buzz…We’ve that, “Words to Drink By” and more…

New Vera Hop Generates Buzz

The  US  Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service ((USDA-ARS) has announced the release of a new publicly developed  hop variety, that is high-yielding, disease-resistant, and designed with brewer feedback at every stage.

Say hello to Vera, an aromatic hop variety, which has tropical, stone-fruit, and citrus characteristics.

Since 2017,  the Boulder, Colorado-based trade organization, Brewers Association  (BA) “has directly supported the USDA’s public hop breeding program, advocating for and providing funding, gathering sensory data, and helping ensure that new hops—like Vera—are tailored to brewer needs.”

Brewers can purchase Vera from the Hop Research Council through the Lupulin Exchange.

The 2025 Great American Beer Festival competition will include a special one-time category featuring the Vera hop. And according to the BA, which sponsors the annual event, ‘brewers can enter any beer style in the category provided the hop aroma and flavor from the Vera hop variety play a leading role.”

Words to Drink By

“I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy,”  – Tom Waits, American singer-songwriter, composer, actor, and Grammy Award winner

(Courtesy Barrel One Collective)

Barrel One Bags Another New England Brewery

2025 got off to a bang with the announcement  that new Hampshire-based Smuttynose Brewing and Boston’s Harpoon Brewery have merged, forming a new company called “Barrel One Collective” under the parent companies Finestkind Brewing (Smuttynose) and Mass. Bay Brewing (Harpoon), respectively; essentially combining two of the largest craft breweries in New England under one umbrella.

And now the growing New England powerhouse has bagged another high profile player, Imperial Brewing Company, an all-imperial style beer producer based in Worcester, Massachusetts with a rabid cult following.

“Greater Good has carved out a distinct space in the craft world with its unapologetically big, flavorful beers and cult following in Central Mass.,” said Dan Kenary, CEO of Barrel One Collective. “Their team’s focus on quality, authenticity, innovation, and community perfectly aligns with our company values.”

The addition of Greater Good brings the Barrel One portfolio to 15 brands and nine brewery and taproom locations across four states (MA, NH, NY, VT), solidifying its position as the foremost craft collective in the Northeast and the 13th largest craft producer nationally.

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