Hey there,

Pulling out an old musing on pour over coffee today. I wrote this just around 4 years again during the Pandemic. It's fun to go back and look at how my creativity has evolved over time, and to see if my feelings about coffee have changed at all (they haven't).

Any way, I hope you enjoy this little throwback edition of my newsletter. 🙂

A quick housekeeping item:

• Moving forward my videos will be posted on a bi-weekly schedule. I know y'all look forward to weekly videos, but with a full-time job, family & friends, and a partner to spend time with, and my personal hobbies, it's a tough schedule to keep up with.
• Ultimately, I want to post longer (7-10min) and better videos, and having an extra week to create these videos will greatly improve their quality – as well as my mental wellbeing.

Okay, without further adieu, let's talk coffee.

I remember the beginning of college being a very turbulent time in my life. Everything was new. New people, new classes, new way of life, new… well, everything! To put it lightly, I felt lost. After spending more than half of my life pursuing music as my passion, I slowly felt the fervor of playing my instruments begin to fade. Though, I never gave up on music, and I still occasionally play, I desperately began seeking new things to feel excited about.

I decided that I was going to major in a media program at my local community college and began studying creative production through video, audio, photo and more. And while I was passionate about that, I knew that I wanted something that would always be mine; something that a client could never get their hands on. So, I’m doing as your typical Gen-Z college student would: procrastinating my homework, probably eating junk food, and watching videos on YouTube to pass the time.

During that phase of my life, I was a big fan of Peter McKinnon, who (if I recall correctly) had just recently begun his career on YouTube. I can’t quite remember the video, but something in it fascinated me. It was a vlog and he mentioned something about making coffee. And as it transitioned into one of his signature b-roll sequences, the way he was making coffee caught my attention. He was using this weird-looking, glass carafe, with some sort of collar around the middle. It wasn’t a regular coffee maker, like my parents have. He was using a kettle, with a long spout, almost like a water can, and manually pouring the water over the grounds. This would become my catalyst.

Intrigued, I went to Google and typed in the following words: “Peter McKinnon coffee maker” and up came a photo and the name of what the item was: the Chemex. It was a beautiful piece of glass and something I had never seen, let alone heard of, in my life. So I became very interested in it, watching more of his videos in which he shows it as part of his life. Up until this point in my life, I had tried coffee, maybe, twice. Once while in high school, I tried my then girlfriend’s starbucks cold coffee drink, which was some sort of frappuccino. The other time was when I was 16 or 17 and my dad offered me some of his Maxwell House coffee. I didn’t like it, either.

I continued on, intrigued by this idea of pour over coffee, but never took it too seriously, but I knew I wanted to try drinking coffee. So I began with the worst possible thing I could’ve: a keurig. I drank from that until I could stomach the taste with milk and sugar. After a few months of owning that, I started looking into the Chemex and while walking past the kitchenware aisle of the Meijer I worked at, I noticed one sitting on the shelf. I knew I was leaving with it that day, so I bought it, not knowing that it required specific filters. I bought a standard set of Melitta cone filters, and stacked two of them into it to brew which, believe me, doesn’t work.

I soon purchased a reusable metal cone filter for it and began learning how to make coffee. I didn’t have a scale, a grinder, or even great coffee. Just my Chemex, cheap gooseneck kettle from Walmart, and my pre-ground Peet’s coffee. And it was magical, not in the sense that it tasted great. But, in the sense that I became fascinated with the process. Hell, I didn’t even like black coffee for probably a solid 3 months after purchasing it.

Since discovering the Chemex, I’ve learned a lot about coffee. I’ve learned about how different variables in your brew affect, about grind size, flow rate, water temp, etc. I’ve learned about various different brew methods like the Hario V60, Kalita Wave, and although I don’t own one, I’ve researched Siphon coffee as well. It’s truly a fascinating world that most people don’t know exists. Coffee is viewed as a beverage. A beverage that is bitter, harsh, and unappealing. But just below that widely known surface knowledge, is a world of flavor, fun, and community.

Ultimately, I love coffee. I love tasting different coffees, trying new blends and single origins. I love trying different brew methods. But more importantly, above all else, I love the brewing process and what it did for me. The process of brewing pour over coffee allowed me to grasp control over my mornings. It gives me a moment of peace amongst the chaos. It gives me a positive outlook for the day. It reminds me to slow down, and relax. It helped give me a reason to give out of bed when I felt like there wasn’t one. And really, it just tastes better.

Taking back my mornings allowed me to make time for other things as well. It lead me down a path of self development that had never been a thought in my mind. My morning now consists of the following: Wake up by 7am, shower, shave (if I’m feeling it), skincare, brush teeth, coffee, relax or do something I enjoy (right now it’s working on my new wedding film business.) Up until this point, my schedule was turbulent, but now, I go at a relaxed pace. I take things slowly and try to find the beauty and joy in every moment I can. I’m at peace with myself. I owe that to pour over coffee. Because without it, I’d be waking up depressed every single day… and tired.

I’m going to end this post with a challenge. I want you to find something that brings you peace in the morning (whether you wake up at 5am or 2pm.) It doesn’t have to be coffee. It could be exercise, writing, drawing; anything, really. Find something that gives you the motivation to get out of bed. Then go do it.