In 2010, the staff of the Ecumenical Relief Organization arrived in the small village of 200 people in Somogy County to look at an institution offered for utilization. The staff found a dilapidated building with a huge neglected estate. Nevertheless, the Relief Organization gave Kastélyosdombó a Chance. Today, a lively building complex, a regional development program and - among other things - a 15-hectare hop field operate on the once abandoned area.
The FIRST Craft Beer team visited the Kastélyosdombó estate in 2024, where the impressive economy immediately gave them the opportunity to work together: the locally grown Chinook hop type can be one of the mainstays of the Ugly Sweater Double IPA brewed annually for Christmas. The conversation led to action, and the 2024 iteration of the beer has arrived, with Hungarian-produced Chinook hops.
This time, the jointly produced beer aims to be outstanding not only in taste and atmosphere: by purchasing bottled or canned products, every beer lover can participate in the continuous maintenance and transmission of the values represented by the Ökomenicus Aid Organization and FIRST Craft Beer, namely equal opportunities, support for the disadvantaged and needy, and personal development.
