Emanuelis Ryklys

Founder of „Crooked Nose & Coffee Stories“, coffee enthusiast, product creator and author

CROOKED COFFEE FOR CREATIVE FOLK

The memories and ideas triggered by scents reveal much about our past. They offer a glimpse back in time and an invitation to reflect on the histories intrinsic to our being. Crooked Nose offers coffee with a history, from the story of its inception to the personal and unique memories that its aromas call forth. Emanuelis Ryklys sat down with us over one of his special Brazilian blends to recount the tale of how Crooked Nose came to be:

What is Crooked Nose & Coffee Stories?

We’re the smallest coffee roastery in Vilnius, offering freshly roasted coffee, coffee blends paired with stories, cold brew coffee and other original coffee products, plus caffeine-oriented education.

What was the inspiration for your business?

A coffee aficionado since childhood, I’ll always remember the smell of freshly ground coffee wafting through our kitchen. My mother was picky about her coffee, and I like that she used her senses and intuition to choose good beans. Being picky about the flavor myself, I studied coffee quality and experimented with roasting my own beans, but that still wasn’t enough. To add my own personal touch to the coffee world, I decided to create unique coffee products inspired by emotions, by stories, and by a desire to share my passion with the world. Moving beyond the realm of simple beans, each blend is tailored for a particular mood or time of day, and some are supplemented with spices to create a harmonious effect. Other Crooked Nose products share the same creative concept.

What do you offer your customers?

Everyone who enjoys Crooked Nose is looking for products that are understated but concentrated, things that look minimal at first glance, but are rich inside. This balance is like great poetry: it may be written using only ten words, but the very essence of life might lie within them. In this madly rushing world oversupplied with cheap ideas, products and promises, I think people are just looking for simplicity and balance.

What makes you tick?

I find inspiration in the people I meet and the stories they share, particularly the ones who are passionate in their pursuits. It’s simply nice to meet people who are comfortable in their own skin, and even if we drink it in silence, I want to have a cup of coffee with them. Coffee is wonderful, and I’m sure some great decisions are made while having a cup of this delightfully dark drink. The better the coffee, the better the decision.

What does the future hold for Crooked Nose & Coffee Stories?

To evolve, but to stay calm.

What is the key to success?

It is hard to find the right words. I try to release the ideas that make me my back shiver, my heart beat stronger. Some people say it’s a gut feeling. And I still try to follow this strategy.