THE APPLE TREE OF THE FAMILLE STASSEN
This is a 120-year-old apple tree, with deep green foliage and gnarled trunk. Will you sit down and look at it? Take your time, see the Joie de Vivre hiding in plain sight, be taken by these craftsmen passing on their passion to the next generation.
Explore the tree of the famille Stassen.
Léon the son of Léon had grown up with a passion as deep as his father for cidre making. One day in the year 1931, came for him the time to take over the family business. Léon had a keen eye for business and saw opportunities to expand the cidrerie artisanale. He moved the cidrerie to the center of the bustling village of Aubel. He also expanded the Joie de Vivre of Stasssen cidre beyond the borders of Aubel, and of Belgium. Léon, in turn, enthused his own son, Jean.
Once upon a time, Léon Stassen was a farmer, born in the cradle of Vallée d’Aubel. Léon had a sweet spot for bees. For them, he grew fruits on his lands. Years after years, under Léon’s care and the kind vallée weather, fruit trees bloomed all over Aubel. In the year 1895, the apple crop was so abundant that Léon had an idea. He built a small artisanal cidre-making workshop at his own farm, « Haut Vent ». A new world opened to Léon, and with it, a passion running as deep as beekeeping for the remainder of his life. A love of cidre craft passed on to the next génération, to his son Léon.
Jean-Pierre Stassen grew up watching Jean infusing his cidre with passion and dedication. In the year 1979, he joined his father in a long and fruitful collaboration where Jean-Pierre brought his savoir-faire in cidre making, crafting many new recipes, such as fruits cidres and later the Le Grand-Cru, Cuvée Rosé, cidres d’Abbaye and many more. Jean-Pierre is today a master cidre craftsman, fathering many recipes with years of savoir-faire, générosité and Joie de Vivre. He lives in the Vallée d’Aubel with his wife Ruth and their beloved horses and apple trees.
Jean was only 20 years old when he had to take over the family business. War had struck the wonderful Aubel but soon the Joie de Vivre blossomed again and Jean bottled it with a new sparkling recipe. A welcome reminder of the Joie de Vivre in the aftermath of the war, in a world where Champagne was scarce and joy even scarcer. Jean never stopped dreaming of wider horizons for his cidre till this day.
THE STASSEN CIDRES
Each sip of Stassen cidre brings you to the secret garden of the Vallée d’Aubel, the green lush hillsides, the morning dew kissing the red glossy apples in the orchards and the pure, simple pleasure of retreating from the hustle and bustle of life. Reminding you to look up and see the enchantment in the everyday. Your own secret garden is never far away, you just have to find the key.
Stassen cidres are made with only the best apples in the tradition of a fourth generation artisan family. Craftsmanship and générosité are infused in each sip, a moment to share in the simple joys of friendship, good food and wonderfull of everyday.
Pour a bottle of cidre Stassen in fine flutes. Let the magic bubble up with the finest sparkles. Don’t haste: générosité needs time to fill up the hearts.
Serve a wonderfull time and let everyone help themselves to it.
A STROLL IN AUBEL
Take a small vallée, nesting in a corner of Belgium - ensure you take the long way to wherever you were going. Sprinkle orchards and a couple of bell towers on the country hills, Put on your walking shoes or hop on a horse if you like it spicier, Add a few friends that want to come along.