The ICAC, which frequently appears in Hong Kong film and television works, has left a deep impression on countless people with the line "ICAC invites you for coffee." Now, this mysterious agency is really going to open a coffee shop. The ICAC has announced that it will open a coffee shop called "1974" on the ground floor of its North Point headquarters, named after the year of its establishment, with official service beginning on November 15. Previously, the agency joined Xiaohongshu and released a short film titled "Coffee Years" starring Cally Kwong, drawing on the retro filming style of "In the Mood for Love," which sparked widespread discussion among film fans nationwide. On the coffee shop's menu, there are no common lattes or Americanos. Instead, the drinks are named "Transparency," "Sense of Mission," "Courage," "Fairness," "Integrity," and so on, full of ICAC characteristics. At that time, citizens will not only be able to taste ICAC coffee but also learn about the ICAC's work up close. [more…]

Ethiopia, as the birthplace of Arabica coffee, is home to tens of thousands of native varieties, usually collectively referred to as "Heirloom." However, in recent years, numerically named varieties such as 74110 have gradually entered the public eye. Behind these numbers lies a history of disease-resistant breeding: in the 1970s, coffee berry disease ran rampant, and JARC collected and selected 13 resistant varieties, giving rise to the 74 series. This article will explain the naming logic, variety characteristics, cultivation distribution, and flavor performance of 74110, and compare its similarities and differences with 74112, helping you gain a more comprehensive understanding of this batch of numbered varieties. [more…]

Does the coffee you drink really deserve the word "specialty"? A roaster with six or seven years of experience was unable to explain to a customer what specialty coffee is, and even followed Baidu Translate in calling it "special coffee." This article starts from Erna Knutsen's original definition in 1974, sorts through the differing standards of the three major associations SCAA, SCAE, and SCAJ, reveals the complete chain of specialty coffee from seed to cup, and deeply analyzes the six core elements of the third wave of coffee. Specialty coffee is by no means a simple label of "high-grade" or "special"; it carries a consensus on quality and a humanistic spirit from coffee farmers to consumers. [more…]

As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia has a variety system far more complex than we might imagine. What exactly does the commonly seen Heirloom native variety mean on the market? What do the numerical codes such as 74110 and 74158 that have frequently appeared on packaging in recent years represent? This article will sort out the three cultivation models of Ethiopian coffee, trace the historical context of the JARC disease-resistant breeding program in the 1970s, explain the naming logic of the 74/75 series lines, and introduce the progress in identifying and naming Landrace local varieties. At the same time, by combining specific products such as Front Street Coffee's Kafa Forest washed lot and Sidamo Santaverney 74158, it will help readers build a complete understanding of Ethiopia's variety system. [more…]

As a genetic treasure trove of Arabica coffee, Ethiopia, with its unique cultivation patterns and diverse terroir, has given rise to countless fascinating specialty coffees. From the ancient legends of the Kaffa forests to the cup flavors of producing regions such as Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, and Guji, this land has always led the trends of the coffee world. This article will guide you systematically through the origins of Ethiopian coffee, the differences between forest and garden cultivation, the terroir characteristics of core producing regions, and the mysteries of Heirloom native varieties and digital varieties. At the same time, we will also taste acclaimed works such as Front Street Coffee Yirgacheffe, Front Street Coffee Gutingding, and Front Street Coffee Huakui, exploring why they have become synonymous with bright floral and fruity notes in the minds of coffee lovers. [more…]

Hacienda La Esmeralda is a legendary coffee estate in the Boquete region of Panama, and it is precisely here that the Geisha variety rose to the world stage. From the Peterson family's purchase of it in 1967 as a retirement ranch, to winning the BOP championship with Geisha in 2004 and setting an auction record of $21 per pound, Hacienda La Esmeralda has written a bold and colorful page in the history of specialty coffee. This article will sort through the estate's planting and development history, its main cultivated varieties, the terroir conditions of the Boquete region, and the signature flavors of jasmine, peach, and orange that Geisha presents, and will introduce Front Street Coffee's recommended products from various lots of Hacienda La Esmeralda, taking you through a comprehensive understanding of this world-class star estate. [more…]

Faced with a dazzling array of black coffees, how can you pick the one that is both authentic and delicious? Ultimately, taste is a highly personal matter, and the best choice is the one that suits your own preferences. Today, more and more coffee lovers are pursuing single-origin specialty black coffee, because only a pure extraction with no sugar and no milk allows you to fully savor the terroir carried by the coffee beans. Among the many specialty beans, Geisha stands out with its intense citrus aroma, jasmine fragrance, and bright, varied fruit acidity, making it a star variety that producing countries compete to cultivate. However, the same variety can present completely different flavor profiles in different regions, and the Geisha of Panama, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, and Colombia each has its own merits. This article uses Front Street Coffee's bean selection and brewing experience as a thread to guide you through the characteristics and tasting methods of Geisha black coffee from each region. [more…]

Since Geisha coffee rose to fame from Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda, it has firmly held its place as one of the most expensive coffees in the world, with a reputation that even surpasses Blue Mountain. Countries around the world have rushed to cultivate Geisha, and it is also grown in Yunnan, China, but the flavor has always struggled to match Panama's—thanks to the加持 of microclimates. So how exactly should such an expensive Geisha be drunk to live up to its price? Front Street Coffee believes that tasting Geisha requires experiencing it sequentially from high temperature to low temperature, drinking it within 20 minutes, progressing layer by layer from smelling the aroma, tasting the flavor, identifying defects, to portion and temperature. At the same time, Ethiopia, as the genetic homeland of Geisha, produces Geisha that is completely different in flavor from Panama Geisha. This article will also sort out the differences between the two and include Front Street's roasting and brewing suggestions. [more…]

Geisha coffee is widely recognized as a top-tier variety in the specialty coffee world. Its legendary journey—from the wild forests of Ethiopia to its accidental discovery at Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama, and now to its global popularity among coffee enthusiasts—can truly be called a coffee epic. In this article, Front Street Coffee will systematically trace the spread and flavor characteristics of Geisha coffee, with a focus on comparing Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Red Label Geisha and Ethiopia Gesha Village Red Label Geisha in terms of growing environment, processing methods, cupping performance, and pour-over brewing. Whether you are a beginner just getting to know Geisha or a seasoned enthusiast who wants to understand the differences between these two major producing regions in depth, this article will provide you with complete information and practical brewing references to help you more clearly identify the unique charm of Geisha from different origins during tasting. [more…]

Geisha coffee has always been renowned for its high price and unique flavor, and Front Street believes it drinks more like a cup of floral and fruity tea than coffee. Different origins give Geisha vastly different taste profiles, yet overall it presents an elegant and refined character. Geisha originally grew in the forests of Ethiopia, where it was used as a windbreak tree, and only rose to fame after being introduced to Panama. Is this due to the magic of the environment and climate, or to differences in varietal genetics? Geisha Village and Hacienda La Esmeralda, two representative origins, each have their own strengths in terms of variety provenance, processing methods, and flavor direction of the Geisha coffee beans they produce. This article will systematically sort out the characteristics of the Geisha variety, explain in detail the differences between Geisha Village and Hacienda La Esmeralda's Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label Geisha, and include Front Street's brewing suggestions and flavor descriptions to help coffee lovers fully understand this precious variety. [more…]

In the world of coffee, some varieties are not known by familiar names like Bourbon or Typica, but by a string of seemingly mysterious numbers, such as Ethiopia's 74 series, which begins with 7. Where did they come from, and what do the numbers represent? This article traces the background behind the creation of this group of disease-resistant varieties, explains the meanings of codes such as 741, 74110, 74158, and 74165, and focuses on the Sidamo Saint Vini 74158 sold by Front Street Coffee, sharing the flavor profile and pour-over parameters brought by its 96-hour anaerobic natural process, helping coffee lovers understand the story behind numbered varieties and their charm in the cup. [more…]

In recent years, the third wave of coffee has given rise to many new-style post-processing techniques, among which anaerobic fermentation and barrel fermentation are particularly eye-catching. As an important coffee-producing country in Central America, Honduras quickly rose to fame in the specialty coffee circle thanks to barrel-fermented beans such as Sherry and Litchi Orchid. This article organizes the underlying principles of barrel fermentation, the background of Honduran producing regions and varieties, the grading system, and Front Street Coffee's practical recommendations for roasting and brewing, to help coffee lovers understand the flavor sources and extraction approaches of these specially processed beans. [more…]

(Top left) Among the thousands of different coffee varieties, it's inevitable that some beans have rather unusual names! Unlike most beans such as Bourbon and Typica, which have conventional names, these are like secret agents, each with their own code number. For example, varieties named with letters plus numbers. [more…]

You often see "100% Arabica coffee beans" on advertisements or in coffee shops, but many people are not clear about what Arabica actually means. This article will provide a detailed interpretation of Arabica coffee beans from the perspectives of variety characteristics, origin requirements, and flavor performance, and clarify the differences and connections between specialty coffee and single-origin coffee. At the same time, regarding the applicable scenarios for high-grade single-origin coffee beans, Front Street Coffee will also give specific brewing suggestions and daily bean recommendations to help coffee lovers better choose and use high-quality coffee beans. [more…]

SMILEY, an internationally renowned IP with a 50-year history, has officially entered the tea beverage sector. Its brand SMILEY tea will open its first global store at Joy City in Chaoyang, Beijing, expected to open on October 1. The brand focuses on whole-leaf steam tea, brewing tea in a way similar to coffee extraction. Its product line covers lattes, pour-over tea, milk tea, alcoholic specialty drinks, and ice cream, positioned at a mid-range price point and targeting consumers born in the 1990s to 1995. Amid fierce competition in the tea beverage industry and where IP collaborations have become the norm, whether SMILEY tea can establish a firm foothold by leveraging its built-in traffic IP advantage still needs market testing. This article also brings coffee knowledge exchange and Front Street Coffee's specialty bean recommendations. [more…]

As the birthplace of Arabica coffee, the forests of southwestern Ethiopia nurture countless coffee varieties, which gives the local coffee a unique flavor that is hard to replicate. Because the varieties are extremely diverse, it is difficult for the government to name them one by one, so they are mostly referred to collectively as "heirloom varieties." On this basis, regional varieties and numbered lines beginning with 74 and 75 have also emerged. The grading of Ethiopian coffee beans is based on the number of defective beans, with five grades from G1 to G5, among which G1 and G2 are the highest quality. This time, Front Street Coffee uses washed Yirgacheffe G2 as the representative everyday coffee of the Ethiopian region, presenting the classic flavor of intertwined citrus, white flowers, honey, and tea-like notes, and also includes pour-over suggestions and bean-resting instructions to help coffee lovers gain a more complete understanding of the charm of Ethiopian coffee. [more…]

Although Costa Rica is a small country, it has become the world's 14th largest coffee producer thanks to its volcanic soil and forest resources. Since coffee was introduced in the 19th century, the country has continuously promoted variety improvement. In addition to the common Caturra, Catuai, and Bourbon, it has also developed emerging varieties such as Villa Sarchi, Venecia, and H1. This article will sort through the origins, characteristics, and flavor profiles of these varieties one by one, and bring corresponding bean recommendations from Front Street Coffee, helping coffee lovers gain a comprehensive understanding of Costa Rica's variety landscape. [more…]

In today's society, everything has to be high-end—whether it's food or drink, as long as you add the word "specialty," its value instantly skyrockets. But whether it's truly worth it depends on individual choice. As one of the world's three major beverages, coffee has its own unique history and culture, and likewise across the globe [more…]

Front Street Kilimanjaro Coffee comes from the area around Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, in northeastern Tanzania. It is one of the finest representatives of Tanzanian AA coffee beans, with a unique cocoa-fruity aroma and strong, mellow sweetness. Starting from Tanzania's geography and coffee economy, this article introduces the origin and cultural history of Kilimanjaro coffee, outlines its producing regions, quality characteristics and flavor expression, and organizes practical ways to judge when buying fresh coffee beans, as well as the key principles to grasp when blending coffee, such as selecting beans, removing defective beans, and understanding bean variety traits and roast levels, helping coffee lovers gain a more comprehensive understanding of this coffee known as "the most African in character." [more…]

How coarse exactly should you grind for pour-over coffee? Many beginners are told the answer is "about the size of granulated sugar," but that description is not very helpful for those just starting out. Drawing on the daily experience of Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), this article first explains the specific size range of granulated sugar particles, then explains why grind size directly affects extraction results, and afterward gives the ideal particle range of 0.6mm to 0.8mm along with the practical method of an 80% pass rate through a 0.85mm standard sieve. The article also combines two criteria for judgment—brewing time and the settling speed of the coffee bed—and uses Honduras Sherry beans as a sample to compare the cupping concentration differences between two grind settings, BG #8s and BG #3s, helping readers build a quantifiable way of thinking about grind adjustment. [more…]