Kiosk Konversations // in conversation with Martin Boháčik, founder and editor-in-chief of EIGHTY DEGREES Magazine
EIGHTY DEGREES magazine, founded in 2018 by tea enthusiast Martin Boháčik, is a captivating print publication dedicated to exploring the rich and diverse world of tea culture. With nine issues published to date, EIGHTY DEGREES immerses readers in the stories, interviews, and travel reports curated by tea experts and enthusiasts who are deeply passionate about their craft.
We had the privilege of interviewing Martin Boháčik, the founder and editor-in-chief of EIGHTY DEGREES Magazine, to gain insight into the magazine's purpose and the creative process behind it.
Martin, you’re the founder of tea culture magazine EIGHTY DEGREES. Could you please introduce yourself to our magazine lovers and tell us a bit about how you discovered the world of tea?
My name is Martin Boháčik and I am the founder of Eighty Degrees magazine. I grew up drinking ‘tea’ — or so I believed. In fact, I had only known herbal infusions until I was about 16 when I accidentally came across the ‘real’ tea that comes from Camellia sinensis. It was unlike anything I had tried before. I would stick to Earl Grey and jasmine teas for a long time, until, once again, I had an epiphany when I spoke with a tea specialist in London and realised that there is so much to tea than I had thought. That’s when my interested started and never stopped since.
What inspired you to publish a tea magazine? How did you come up with the idea?
The idea of the magazine was born about five years ago when I was moving between countries and I didn’t want to go back to my career in advertising. I noticed that more and more independent print magazines were being published, covering all kinds of niche topics. But tea was somehow missing. I wanted to create a publication that could serve as a reference for tea lovers but also one that would inspire its readers to try out speciality teas. Many think they know what tea is and everyone has some kind of experience with tea. However, what we often call tea is not tea at all, and even when it is, it most likely isn’t prepared correctly which unfortunately can put people off.
Your magazine, EIGHTY DEGREES, draws a lot of attention in our magazine shop because of its name. People become curious about its content when they read the name. Why did you choose "EIGHTY DEGREES" as the name of your magazine? What is the story behind it?
Choosing the name was very difficult as I wanted it to be linked to tea but not call it something very obvious. I settled for Eighty Degrees because it is curious and it makes people ask questions. Sometimes they assume that eighty degrees Celsius is the correct temperature to brew tea, but in reality it is much more complex. However, it piques their interest and they want to find out more.
EIGHTY DEGREES Magazine is exceptional in terms of paper quality and aesthetics, and we, along with our customers, adore it. What motivated you to publish such a high-quality print magazine, and why did you choose print instead of digital media?
The magazine had to be printed. It is what makes it stand out from the many tea blogs and websites. It’s a physical product which provides creative opportunities as well as challenges that the digital doesn’t. Besides, brewing and drinking tea is a slow and mindful process and it just goes well with printed words. It allows you to disconnect from the digital world and focus on the pages. There are no notifications, no distractions. It’s a very basic feeling that is being lost in the age of modernity.
In each issue of EIGHTY DEGREES, you collaborate with a group of writers, photographers, and illustrators from around the world to bring everything together in a complete issue. Can you describe how an issue of EIGHTY DEGREES Magazine comes to fruition?
Thankfully, by now with issue 9 published, it is already quite an established process. The most difficult part is to decide what goes into each issue. I want to address topics that somehow flow well together. Then I need to find people that can provide the information. Pretty much every article that has gone to print was something I didn’t know much about, so I am learning in the process as much as the reader is. Depending on the topic, I then decide whether it should be illustrated or accompanied by photos. Countless hours of putting it all together and correcting everything follow, until it’s sent off to the printer and I lose sleep until I hold the first copy in my hands.
Do you enjoy reading any other indie food or drinks magazines?
Absolutely. There are many gems out there, some already established and many new ones popping up all the time. It always makes me happy to see newcomers as it gives me hope that people still appreciate printed words. Besides, I know how hard the process is so I wish all the other mags all the best.
„The best tea is the one I can share with someone else. “
What is your favorite tea when sitting down and diving into a print magazine?
The forever impossible question! Just like I couldn’t choose one favourite meal, I can’t single out one tea. The world of tea is too variety and complex, there are so many options. I have realised over the course of the past five years that I tend to prefer teas based on what I am currently focused on. For instance, issue 9 was made after my trip to Japan and several articles addressed the country and its teas. Naturally, while working on the issue I kept brewing Japanese teas — it just felt right. The same happened with issue 3 as I had just come back from Yunnan in China so I was gravitating towards pu’ers. But to complicate the answer even more, and possibly sounding cheesy, the best tea is the one I can share with someone else.
The latest issue of EIGHTY DEGREES Magazine delves into the world of the rarest and most unfamiliar Chinese teas - yellow tea. What makes it so special, and why should every tea lover read about it in the new issue of EIGHTY DEGREES Magazine?
Chinese yellow tea is very uncommon and very peculiar. But I would say you should try other teas first, especially Chinese greens, to really understand yellow tea. For someone with little experience in tea, it probably won’t stand out. They might want to be wowed and should try something mind-blowing like an wulong tea. I think the beauty and intricacy of yellow tea comes from the comparison with green tea. It’s so similar, yet quite different. There isn’t much of it produced, so it’s quite hard to find the real thing. But once you do, you will see that even small nuances can lead to a whole new tea experience.
Thanks a lot, Martin!
Find out more about EIGHTY DEGREES magazine: www.readeighty.com
Got interested in reading Martin’s EIGHTY DEGREES magazine? You’ll find it in our brick-and-mortar shop in Vienna’s Leopoldstadt and also online in our webshop:
copyright photos: Martin Boháčik
