Making Ramborn

People have been fermenting juice from traditional apples and pears in the region at least as far back as the Romans, but over the last century, this tradition has been in decline, with much of the fruit going to waste.

As Luxembourg’s first cider company, Ramborn is working to revive the tradition of cider-making, putting good use to the otherwise wasted fruit, and breathing new life into traditional orchards throughout the country. Today we work with more than 100 farmers to revive, maintain and improve traditional orchards, paying a fair price for their fruit.

Traditional varieties of apple – many unique to the region –  grow in nearby orchards, each one a habitat to a huge number of micro-flora, fungi, mosses, lichens, and insects, inviting a bevy of birds and small mammals as well as badgers, foxes, owls and other birds of prey. These orchards are a vital source of biodiversity; they are Europe’s rainforests in need of protection.

The idea to make a Luxembourgish cider came up when three old friends were having a drink. While enjoying a summer holiday in the UK and tasting the local ciders, they started sharing stories of their parents and grandparents, who used local apples to produce their very own cider, known locally as “Viez”. That’s when they decided to make their own cider in Luxembourg using this untapped source of apples.

AWARDS

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Gold medal, International Cider Awards 2019 – Perry
Gold medal, International Cider Awards 2019 – Farmhouse Dry Cider
Gold medal, Cider World Frankfurt 2019 – Bourbon Barrel Aged Still Cider

Gold medal, SISGA (Spain) 2017 – Perry

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Silver medal, International Cider Awards 2019 – Cascade Hopped Cider
Silver medal, Cider World Frankfurt 2019 – Original Medium Dry Cider
Silver medal, Cider World Frankfurt 2019 – Perry
Silver medal, Cider World Frankfurt 2018 – Cascade Hopped Cider
Silver medal, International Cider Challenge 2018 – Perry, Original Medium Dry Cider, Erbachhofer Single Variety

Silver medal, Sagardo Forum 2019 – Perry, Luxembourgish Garden Quince, Meadow Orchard Ice Cider, Cascade Hopped Cider

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Bronze medal, International Cider Awards 2019 – Original Medium Dry Cider
Bronze medal, International Cider Awards 2019 – Bourbon Barrel Aged Still Cider
Bronze medal, International Cider Challenge 2018 – Farmhouse Dry Cider, Cascade Hopped Cider
Bronze medal, International Cider Awards 2017 – Original Medium Dry Cider
Bronze medal, SISGA (Spain) 2017 – Original Medium Dry Cider

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Jury Prize, Dutch International Cider Festival 2018 – Farmhouse Dry Cider, Cascade Hopped Cider
Public Favourite, Dutch International Cider Festival 2018 – Perry
Best international cider, RealCiderReviews.com 2016 – Original Medium Dry Cider
Highly Commended, Royal Three Counties International Cider and Perry Championship 2016 – Farmhouse Dry Cider