S4:EP8
Guest: Hollis Swan, Declination Roasting Company
From: Soldotna, Alaska
Instagram: @declination_roasting
Website: www.declinationroasting.com
What are the best 15 minutes of your day? How do you make sure that you don’t put those minutes aside to address the responsibilities that add less value to your life?
Those are the kinds of deep thoughts that came up in my conversation with Hollis Swan, Founder & Lead Roaster* of Declination Roasting Company. For Hollis, the best 15 minutes is in the morning when he is making coffee and then sitting with a full cup before the day really starts. For me, that same time has been getting lost in the shuffle.
I’ve been working on it.
Hollis wants Declination Roasting to be a starting point for people—in their coffee, in their outdoor pursuits, and in finding their purpose. His passion for coffee, nature, and teaching is evident both in our conversation and the content coming out on his social media feeds.
Based in Soldotna, Alaska, patience isn’t just a virtue; it is necessity for managing a business. Instead of letting it get him down, Hollis says he embraces the slower pace. I’d counter by saying he fills the gaps in time by taking on more projects like Declination Studios, where he creates visual art and handcrafts coffee cups. One of which I am probably drinking out of right now.
He also has become a go-to for coffee and beer collaborations in Alaska. Last year he collaborated with 49th State Brewery to create Alaskano Lager. It won the People’s Choice award for best beer at the 2021 @kenai_beer_festival. Sadly, It still says “Coming soon” under the brewing tab on the Declination Roasting website, but I have a feeling that will be changing soon.
What are the best 15 minutes of your day? That’s what I’ll be reflecting on when I make my cup of coffee tomorrow morning.
*I always capitalize the titles of this show’s guests. Being an entrepreneur is hard. They’ve earned that big letter.
UKRAINE
On the show, I mentioned the alternating feelings of inspiration and helplessness while reading the news about the invasion of Ukraine. Then I saw this chalk drawing on a eucalyptus tree in the park I hike through almost every day. It wasn’t there yesterday. I don’t know why but it gave me hope.
This is the list of humanitarian groups collected on NPR I mentioned on the show. If you’re looking for an opportunity to support the people of Ukraine from afar, this list may be the right place for you. R!WC will donate the proceeds of any March subscriptions to Ukrainian aid groups.
FROM THE SHOW
Definition from Merriam-Webster:
declination (noun) dec·li·na·tion | \ ˌde-klə-ˈnā-shən \plural declinations
1: angular distance north or south from the celestial equator measured along a great circle passing through the celestial poles
I haven’t used a real compass on a hike since I was a kid at camp so I was a bit rusty on the concept during my chat with Hollis. So I found a handy article on REI.com that helped me make sense of it all.
"The difference between magnetic north and true north is “magnetic declination.” In the continental U.S., declination can vary from nearly 20 degrees east in places on the West Coast to nearly 20 degrees west in places on the East Coast. When you’re navigating in the wilds, degrees matter. A 15 degree error, for example, on a mile-long hike puts you a quarter-mile away from your destination.”
The rest of the article walks through how to adjust the declination on a compass so you don’t end up lost wandering off in the wrong direction.Hollis said he wouldn’t give up his coffee equipment when out on a hike. He’ll cut weight everywhere else but not when it comes to making sure his coffee is made just right. He uses a collapsible pour-over dripper. I like this one from Sea to Summit. He also grinds on-site, ensuring the freshest coffee possible. He uses a pocket Hario hand grinder. I use this one from Javapresse based out of Austin, TX.
Text and photo from @Declination_Roasting on Instagram:
"I use the #seatosummit collapsible pour over. The metal filter is removed, allowing me to chose a paper filter that fits my needs. I typically use these one cup single filters while camping alone. If you also are using a collapsible cup, the weight of the water on top will collapse the cup, spilling all your glorious coffee on the ground (I performed the trial and error on this practice for you).
Simple solution; sticks. I use whatever sticks are available, between the pour over and cup. Sometimes pencils work as well. I always use a paint brush for the filter because it is usually already have it on me. Anything long will work.”Soldotna, Alaska is on the Kenai Peninsula, which is also home to the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, a 1.92-million-acre wildlife habitat preserve. It looks pretty amazing.
NOT FROM THE SHOW
Former guest and friend of the show, Kyle Rosa, the Founder of Breakers Coffee & Wine and Bluetail Coffee Grove was in the news recently. Check out this piece in O’Side News.
R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS
COFFEE JOBS: CAFÉ LaTERRE is hiring asap for their newest location in Encinitas. Check out the R!WC Coffee Jobs thread here.
Coffee Cycle sold out their February Coffee Smarter 101 class (an in-person version of the Coffee Smarter episodes). It was a pretty cool experience and despite Chris wearing toe socks with sandals, I learned a lot despite having been learning from Chris for years now. There is another class scheduled for March 27th. Tickets are on sale now.
Chris O’Brien teaches Coffee Smarter 101. First Light Whiskey is now being distributed throughout California. Look for it at your favorite premium beverage stores, or order direct to you from Bar Bank Spirits here.
The R!WC Industry Partners are awesome. Click these links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.
Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company
UPCOMING INTERVIEWS
Kayte Wetherington, Luckie Coffee, Poway, CA
Tyler Whitehead, Ignite Coffee Company, Oceanside, CA
Big J Freedman, Compa Coffee Roasters
LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS
APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER
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Roast! - Hollis Swan, Declination Roasting Company