Three good friends tasting the local ciders while on holiday in the UK: that's where Ramborn's story begins. During the tasting, the friends shared stories about their parents and grandparents, who used local apples to produce their own cider. Thus, the idea was born to make our own cider in Luxembourg from this untapped source of apples.
As far back as the Romans, the inhabitants of the Luxembourg region fermented juice from the local apples and pears, but this tradition has fallen into disrepair over the past century. As a result, the number of local apple trees has fallen drastically since 1902: over 90% of the trees was lost. The traditional apple varieties – many unique to the region – grow in local orchards. These orchards are a vital source of biodiversity: Ramborn describes them as 'Europe's rainforests in need of protection'. With the recovery of the local orchards, Ramborn is also trying to revive the Luxembourg cider culture.
At present, Ramborn is Luxembourg's only cidrerie. Together with more than one hundred and twenty farmers, they work on their mission to preserve and improve the traditional orchards in the country. They only use hand-harvested apples and pears from meadow orchards in the region. The harvest consists of about 100 apple varieties and more than 60 pear varieties. They also don't just select the 'supermodels' among the fruit: every piece of fruit is used to prevent food waste.
Ramborn's efforts to protect Luxembourg's 'rainforest' are bearing fruit: Ramborn regularly receives (international) awards for their ciders and commitment to biodiversity. In addition, the company received the B-corporation certification in 2019. This means that they meet the highest standard of social and environmental impact. The cider producer is currently taking the first steps towards fully certified organic products in its range. A brand to keep an eye on!
Curious about the Ramborn range? Check out Ramborn's delicious Garden Quincea and perry in the web shop.
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