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Breathing new life into drinks’ is what Alquimie is all about. Part magazine, part collector’s item, this publication shares the culture and stories behind drinks, from whisky to craft beers. We sat down with one of Alquimie’s owners and designers Nicholas Cary, who was putting the finishing touches on issue eight.*

Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you became a magazine publisher?

After graduating from a degree in Visual Communication and Design from Monash University, I worked in a couple of smaller boutique design studios before branching out on my own. I landed a couple of big projects and slugged away with freelance stuff for a number of years, while also being the co-owner and creative director of Process Journal. After working on that title for eight editions it was time for a change and I decided to focus on my studio work for a year or so before the publishing itch struck again.

Luckily, this itch coincided with meeting Josh Elias, who’s the editor of Alquimie and James Morgan, the magazine’s photographer, through work. We started sharing glasses of wine after hours and it struck us that while there’s a number of great food titles around, there’s nothing about the world of drinks. Considering our skills killed all of the overheads (apart from printing and paper) we figured there was a gap in the market and so Alquimie was born.

Any favourite drinks you’ve profiled?

It would have to be a very special Japanese Single Malt Whisky by Suntory called the ‘Yamazaki’ Single Cask, which was distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2013 after being in a single sherry cask. As far as I know, Julian from Whisky and Alement in Melbourne had the only bottle in Australia. When I tried it I was blown away. Apart from that, I’m a big fan of lighter reds and we’ve featured a lot of great Pinot and Beaujolais in past editions.

How important is the relationship between branding and packaging in the beverage sector?

It is incredibly important! The majority of people are often overwhelmed and intimidated by the number of drinks on offer, whether it be wine, whisky or craft beer. It’s a very flooded market. It’s a mess! So considering we digest bottles with our eyes first, branding and packaging is very important.

Are there any wine labels you love and why do you dig them so much?

There are a plethora of amazingly intelligent and aesthetically pleasing labels out there – too many to name and choose. I think among the smaller Australian labels in particular there are some really well considered and executed designs. Outside of wine, I think The Company You Keep did a great job with The Everleigh pre-mixed cocktail packaging. On a side note, the bottles Alt Group previously sent out as Christmas presents were brilliant. Do they count?

Have you experimented with the design and paper?

The design has been a constant evolution in regards to both layout and typography. One of my issues with Process was how constricting the design felt after a number of editions. While the brief was to let the design do the talking, I really wanted Alquimie to be more flexible. There are certain elements that have stayed the same, like grids, body copy and the general flow of the design, but I’ve made sure each edition is a definite evolution from the previous one, while being relevant to the content.

Likewise with the paper, this has been a subtle evolution which has included editions with gloss sections for photographic essays and experimenting with different production techniques for the cover. All of these changes shouldn’t be jarring to the reader and it keeps it even more enjoyable for us.

Why a printed magazine and not a digital one?

You can’t taste or smell drinks from a screen. For Josh, James and myself a digital magazine seems like a backward step for our readership. And it’s a self-indulgence – I love print.

What’s the most challenging aspect of designing a magazine like Alquimie?

Getting content from drinks journalists! That’s only a half-joke. As any small business owner knows, you have to put on different hats and do things outside of your comfort zone and for me personally, selling advertising is just that. In saying that, we’ve developed fantastic relationships with our advertisers and look forward to our catch-ups. Possibly because they always involve good wine too.

Designing a magazine must keep you pretty busy and we know you have other projects on the cook too. What else are you up to these days?

I’ve recently stepped into a new role as Creative Director for an appliance company, Residentia Group, a relatively new business dealing in appliances from Italy, Spain and China. After some very exciting growth, they made me an offer to come on board full-time and oversee the strategy and direction of the business and the five brands they own and/or distribute. Apart from this, I’m still undertaking freelance design commissions, including work for Bureaux coffee roasting collective, as well as a new Armadale wine bar called Wine 1160 and a new bistro pub in Fitzroy called The Recreation.

Do you have a dream project you’d love to work on?

Can it include moving to Switzerland? If so, watch design. From the mechanics through to the face, typography and packaging. One can dream.

Out of interest, what is your favourite watch design?

From a design perspective, my favourite watch company would be A. Lange & Söhne or vintage chronographs from any of the main Swiss houses.

*Interview first appeared in Spot, our first print publication about all things paper, people, design and dogs. Ask your paper specialist for a copy today

 

 

 

Lenzing Papier, manufacturers of Envirocare 100% Recycled and Impact, is not your average paper mill. Their tagline ‘Simply sustainable’ is in reality, what they live by. As a fully integrated paper mill with a minimal carbon footprint, they’re all about making the world a little greener, driven by the need to preserve the unspoilt natural environment of their Austrian mill’s site for current and future generations. We spoke to General Manager Ernst Brunbauer about the positive outcomes of a green approach.*

What does the Lenzing Papier mill do differently to other mills with regards to manufacturing paper?

Paper mills making recycled products are usually not integrated with a pulp mill. Lenzing Papier is in a unique position as our mill is integrated with a de-inking plant and a pulp mill. There are two categories of recycled paper producers: the ones like Lenzing Papier, who operate their own waste paper facility and de-inking plant, and the ones who buy de-inked pulp on the market. Making the de-inked pulp in-house gives us a significant advantage in terms of avoided carbon emissions, because there’s no need to dry the de-inked fibres for transportation and shelf-life, as it’s made and used simultaneously. The fibres are made-to-measure for the paper machine and the respective product, giving a consistent output.

How can the mill’s carbon footprint be so small?

Predominantly because Lenzing Papier’s paper mill is integrated with the pulp mill (which is fairly uncommon), so we’re only using the carbon neutral energy from the pulping process. The pulp itself is a dissolving pulp grade used to make textile fibres and we use this energy, which is a side product of making dissolving pulp. The carbon footprint is very low because the energy is from renewable sources.

How many people work at the mill?

There are 160 people working in Lenzing Papier and most of them live in the area. The company was founded in 1892 and we have fourth and fifth generation employees.

What does the company primarily stand for and believe in when it comes to the environment?

The staff of Lenzing Papier loves nature. Most of our employees enjoy the outdoors and so their attitude towards protecting the environment is natural. They have a lot of pride in their work and want to be the best in environmental performance. Continually improving processes is an ongoing task for us and we believe in gentle chemical technologies, where nature is our guide, such as using enzymes instead of conventional chemistry.

Is this how you de-ink your pulp?

The de-inking process is usually done by using a flotation system in combination with air and de-inking chemicals to flotate the printing. At Lenzing we have developed a process using enzymes instead of the standard chemistry with very good success.

How much paper do you produce each year?

With a production of 85.000 metric tons per year, Lenzing Papier is a small paper mill compared to commodity producers, but it’s among the market leaders in the field of uncoated recycled papers.

Is it true you swim in the same lake the water from the mill is pumped into?

Yes, that’s true. We take all our fabrication water out of the lake’s outflow and use it with only mechanical cleaning for production. After responsible use and careful cleaning of the water, we put it back into the river. People swim and fish after the outlet from the waste water treatment plant.

How much waste does the mill actually produce?

We’re very proud of the fact that we do not produce any waste that has to go to landfill. The raw materials are re-used as much as possible and at the end of their lifecycle those substances are incinerated in a very efficient incinerator. The generated energy is then put back into the milling process.

*Interview first appeared in the April 2017 issue of Spot, our print publication about paper, people, dogs and design.