Locally sourced hop to season the most popular beer brand in Hungary

HEINEKEN is committed to sustainable production processes by sourcing agricultural raw materials locally. In Hungary, this philosophy led it to exclusively use local barley, sour cherry and elderflower for the production of its Soproni beers and Radlers. But the brewer wanted to take a further step, by reviving Hungarian hops!

2000 hop plants

Thanks to a partnership with a local NGO – the Hungarian Interchurch Aid (MÖS) – and the support of the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture, HEINEKEN Hungary planted 2000 hop plants in 2018 in Kastélyosdombó. Two years later, in August of this year, it harvested the one-hectare hop plantation and succeeded in reviving Hungarian hops. In this way the brewer not only recreated hop production in Hungary, but it also supported Hungarian farmers by providing employment opportunities for disadvantaged families in the region.

This exciting journey is only starting since the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture will support the planting of an additional 20 hectares of hop fields with an investment of 150 million HUF. While HEINEKEN’s long-term objective is to enable every brewery to produce beer with home-grown hops, this step will further reduce its ecological footprint and contribute to strengthening the local economy.