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President's Message September 2022

President's Message September 2022

Hi Falcons,
 
Sorry for the long gap between statements; it’s been a hectic couple of months both for the Falcons and me personally. Let’s start with me: I went to Europe a few months ago on the trip of a lifetime! Ayesha and I started in Amsterdam before taking trains through Brussels, Bruges, Paris, Marseille, and ending (and getting engaged!) in Barcelona. We had a lot of great food and fantastic drinks on this trip, as well as took in some incredible sights. One thing I feel is worth mentioning is that beer quality drops significantly once you leave Belgium and head South. Not necessarily by quality but by selection.

Highlights from the trip include:
  • Going to the top of the Eiffel Tower for a glass of champagne.
  • Going to many museums.
  • A festival in Barcelona.
  • Taking high-speed rail from place to place.
I also went to an incredible restaurant called Disfrutar, which was an exceptional experience. Some other quick highlights, First, biking in Amsterdam is fantastic; what a fun city to move around in, with great food (Dutch influence) and wonderful people. Belgium had the best beer I’ve had in my adult life. De Garre was a fun visit, and eating fries and waffles out there was a dream. Bruges is the smallest city you must spend a day or two in. It’s a quaint town where everyone knows each other, very medieval and stunningly beautiful. Paris was everything I dreamed it could be, beautiful, grandiose, and just all-around stunning, but the people were odd to me and seemed to speak in hushed tones. Marseille was not like that at all, last grandiose but so alive with personality, I will need to go back. Lastly, we went to Barcelona, which had incredible nightlife. For ten days, I don’t think I went to bed before 4 AM once. If you are ever there, go to Razzmatazz and the Apollo. Fun times were had! After three weeks abroad, I am finally back home and caught up on everything I missed. And I did miss you all dearly.
 
Now, what’s up with the Falcons you ask? We have been busy and only getting more active! First, we managed to get through Mayfair unscathed for the most part, it was undoubtedly a huge learning experience, and we are working on how to improve our competitions moving forward. We want to focus on a more timely experience with greater engagement. We had hundreds of entries to get through, and we did it! 
 
In other news, we had an IPA competition at our last meeting where the winner gets to brew the winning beer at Eagle Rock. Jeff Mathiowetz was the lucky winner, and we can’t wait to see how it turns out at the brewery.
 
Lady Brew day was a complete success. The girls had a great time while Gavin and I assisted with our modified brew system, and most importantly, the beer came out great! We even used the drill-operated grain dispenser that we built ages ago! I will bring a sample to the next meeting, so come by to check it out! We are actively monitoring the current weather situation (Heatwave) to coordinate the next brew day. 
 
After reading that, you may be wondering, modified brew system? That’s right! Gavin, Roger, Craig, and I have been working diligently to refurbish our brew system and eliminate some troublesome issues that have existed for a long time. First, Craig helped us figure out how to protect ourselves with some better heatshields with better airflow, which will hopefully eliminate any potential burns. Next, Roger built out the frame so the brew system would be appropriately distanced from the burners, and Gavin reworked the electrical. It’s the most significant modification that I can think of since Kent originally put the whole thing together. The team has worked hard on this, and I cannot thank them enough.
 
Upcoming Events:
 
Lake Arrowhead is around the corner! September 10th, and don’t forget to tell us ASAP if you are bringing a keg for free entry. We need to tell the organizers how many kegs we are bringing.
 
Oktoberfest is back October 21st – 23rd, and seeing some changes, no longer tied to the DAV, we will be camping in Simi Valley. For more details, check here.
https://www.maltosefalcons.com/products/2022-oktoberest-simi-valley-edition
 
Falcons take the beach! October 23rd @ Leo Carillo -  Stay tuned for details
 
And lastly, elections are upon us.
 
The following are the positions people are running for
President:  Ilan Grossberg  OR   Rick Morales
Vice Presdient:  Ed Kochanowski  OR   (Ilan or Rick) & Geoff Robertson
Grand Hydro:  Drew Beechum
Secretary:  OPEN POSITION
Activities:  John Aitcheson & Bob Dexter
Treasurer: Tiffany Ashrafi
Burgermeister: Jenna Bonney
Artmeister:  Cullen Davis
Membership: Quinlan Ginsberg
Publicity: OPEN POSITION
Newsletter: Ian Carroll
 
Please let me know if you are interested in challenging for a position above or running for either open board position. We’d love to have you. All intentions to run must be announced before the start of the next meeting.
We are currently determining if absentee ballots will be taken, but we encourage everybody to show up in person to vote. 
 
Thanks for reading,
Ilan Grossberg
President of the Maltose Falcons
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