Yes, hops are real. They're actually used in brewing. I know for a fact that they're used in beer, but I'm not sure on what else. Hope this clears that up and I don't know if you'll even ever see this. But, better late than never.
As in the game, hops are used to make real-world beer. They are a small plant (or part of a plant) added to the brew to make the beer have a little bitterness to it. They are mostly grown in Germany and in Idaho (because they grow well at that latitude). This won't make a bit of difference in game, but you might be a tiny bit smarter now.