Until 2017, Jean-Baptiste was in charge of rural development in Belgium. An enlightened botanist, he organized excursions there to discover the flora. During his various meetings, he discovered that it was possible to create aperitifs based on flowers and plants. He decided to make it his job.
He then often visited his brother Samuel, installed in Los Masos and distiller of essential oils with his company Floraluna. The landscape, the environment, the botanical richness did the rest. In 2017, Jean-Baptiste left Belgium and created “La Sève”. “In the Vosges, there is a tradition of fruit-based aperitifs and what I had learned in Belgium confirmed my idea. And then the place where my brother lives made me dream”he explains.
He makes his aperitifs with fruits (rhubarb, kiwis, quinces, figs, blackberries) or plants and flowers (elderberry, acacia, verbena, thyme, sweet woodruff). He harvests them by wild picking thanks to partnerships with farmers and the ONF. Only thyme and verbena are grown. The process for creating aperitifs is similar to winemaking. The fresh plants are immersed in water, chaptalized (addition of sugar) and macerated for 5 to 6 weeks for the alcoholic fermentation to take place. For fruits, pressing and chaptalization are sufficient.
The Sève is distributed in organic grocery stores, at the Prades El Rastell producer shop, at certain wine merchants and delicatessens.
For direct sales in Los Masos, a number: 07 83 04 85 58.
The La Sève website and Facebook page.
