In 2014, the Radegast Club of the Year Award was established to honor a homebrew club not for its competitive prowess, but the effort its members make to use homebrewing as a tool to benefit their greater local community. The award is based on philanthropy, homebrew promotion, education initiatives and diversity efforts.
During the Grand Banquet at the 2015 National Homebrewers Conference in San Diego, the Maltose Falcons were honored with this year’s Radegast Club of the Year Award, which includes a $500 award to the club and a $500 donation to a charity of the club’s choosing.
The Los Angeles-based Maltose Falcons are said to be the oldest homebrew club in the country, having just celebrated their 40th anniversary. Their membership goes above and beyond to not only champion the awesomeness that is beer and homebrewing, but uses their established core to help out with community efforts.
Most notably, the Maltose Falcons partake in two major charitable efforts each year. During the winter holiday season, the Falcons’ clubhouse transforms into a collection point for the Spark of Love Toy Drive, which is put on by the Los Angeles Fire Department. The membership has made it their mission to focus on collecting gifts for older children, which has proven to be a challenge for the Fire Department in the past.
The Maltose Falcons also use some of their competitions as a means of collecting money for various local charities. This year, proceeds from the 2015 Mayfaire Homebrew Competition are being donated to the Ojai Raptor Center which specializes in the rescue and rehabilitation of birds of prey in Ventura County.
Stay tuned for a video about the Matlose Falcons, courtesy of Radegast Club of the Year Award sponsor Yakima Chief-Hopunion, LLC.
If you think your club has what it takes to be the 2016 Radegast Club of the Year, tell us why!
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