A chain coffee shop in Guangzhou, store by .jpg, located on the 41st floor of an office building, quickly went viral on social media because customers can take photos with Canton Tower up close. The average spending is low and no reservation is required—just register at the front desk and you can go upstairs to take photos—attracting a large number of young people to come and check in. However, the resulting elevator congestion and occupied public areas have made office workers in the building miserable. The property management subsequently limited the number of daily tickets and removed the lounge chairs and tables. How will this high-altitude coffee craze ultimately end? [more…]

Last weekend, Heytea's new store at Canton Tower officially opened its doors to customers. What should have been a lively opening celebration instead turned into a complaint fest due to the chaotic rules for claiming limited-edition merchandise. The brand launched an exclusive fridge magnet inspired by the Canton Tower and promised that only 200 would be stocked each day, available on a first-come, first-served basis. As soon as the news broke, a large number of fans got up early on their day off and rushed to the scene, only to find disorderly queues, inconsistent explanations from staff, and the quantity of merchandise shrouded in mystery. What annoyed consumers even more was that after they had already placed orders and waited in a long line, they were told when they were about to check in that the merchandise had already been given out, and they could only come back the next day. How did this new store marketing campaign, which should have been a plus, spiral out of control step by step? [more…]

Airport control towers have always been off-limits, difficult for ordinary travelers to set foot in. However, Huangshan Tunxi Airport has transformed an old control tower—commissioned in 1989 and left idle in 2010 after a new tower was completed—into a distinctive observation tower coffee shop. Closer to the runway than the new tower, it offers a wide-open view where customers can sip coffee while watching planes take off and land up close, experiencing the thrill of directing aircraft. This creative idea originated from the Civil Aviation Administration's 2021 "Guidelines for the Planning and Construction of Civil Airport Aviation Observation Facilities," aimed at popularizing aviation knowledge and enhancing the public experience. The old tower is connected to the old air traffic control building, allowing for quiet indoor observation, while the rooftop offers the震撼 of planes roaring past. For aviation enthusiasts and coffee lovers alike, this is undoubtedly a fresh and fascinating spot to check in. Front Street Coffee recommends that you seize the opportunity to visit and experience it for yourself. [more…]

Want to enjoy a refreshing glass of cold brew coffee but don't want to buy an expensive cold drip tower just for that? In fact, you can rig up a simple cold drip setup using the coffee gear you already have on hand. This article starts from Front Street's hands-on experience, breaks down the structural principles of a cold drip tower, shows how to replace the original equipment with a V60 dripper, a flat-bottom dripper, and a server, and explains in detail every step of the process: distributing the grounds, pouring water, adding ice, and cold-brewing in the fridge. It also covers how the size of the dripper affects your choice of coffee dose, and the key role that ice cube size plays in the extraction, so you can easily make a full-flavored cold brew coffee at home. [more…]

Eason Chan's "Under Mount Fuji" turned the Lawson convenience store at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan into a must-visit spot for countless tourists. Recently, after a heavy snowstorm, a Luckin Coffee store next to the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan unexpectedly went viral, dubbed by netizens as the "domestic version of Lawson under Mount Fuji." The blue signage contrasting with the snow-covered Yellow Crane Tower bears a striking resemblance in composition to the Lawson by Mount Fuji, sparking heated discussion on social media. Some praised Luckin for its precise location choice, while others joked that the ice cream cones and fences in front of the store look like a security booth. Behind this snowscape check-in craze, should Luckin really settle up on the promotional fees? Let's take a look at the brilliant comments from netizens. [more…]

As temperatures rise, cold drip coffee once again becomes a favorite among many coffee lovers. Its refreshing taste and unique fermented flavor are captivating, but the price and operational threshold of professional cold drip towers deter many people. In fact, with just an ordinary dripper, a few filter papers, and ice cubes, you can replicate a rich cold drip coffee at home. This article will break down in detail the principles, equipment preparation, grind adjustment, and complete steps of making this "home version" cold drip coffee, and point out common pitfalls that easily lead to extraction failure, helping you achieve a cold drip flavor that rivals coffee shops with the simplest equipment. [more…]

The Hoop dripper from the Italian brand Ceado won the 2023 SCA Best Product of the Year award thanks to its unique ring-shaped water dispensing structure. It completely separates the water dispensing zone from the coffee bed, with water seeping laterally from the outer water crown through 12 small holes into the filtration tower, creating a slow, immersion-like extraction. This design eliminates the need for consistent pouring technique, but places more refined demands on grind size and water temperature. Front Street tested three coffees—Sidra, Yirgacheffe Kochere, and Golden Mandheling—to compare the flavor differences between the Hoop and the V60, and compiled six practical tips, including checking the filter paper seal,适配 of the server, and the consideration of a purchase cost as high as 280 yuan. [more…]

Entering May, temperatures climb, and cold drip coffee becomes the top choice for beating the heat. However, professional cold drip towers are not cheap, yet are used infrequently, leaving many enthusiasts hesitant. This article will introduce a practical method for making 1-2 servings of cold drip coffee using just two drippers, with no additional equipment needed. At the same time, it will explain the principles of low-temperature extraction, flavor characteristics, detailed steps, and coffee beans suitable for cold drip. Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) uses Panama Hartmann Estate red wine process coffee beans as an example to fully demonstrate the entire process from wetting the filter paper to resting and maturation, and shares the final flavor performance, providing coffee lovers with a reproducible home cold drip solution. [more…]

Ice drip coffee is the most ceremonial member of the cold brew family. It relies on a dedicated ice drip tower, letting ice water pass slowly through the coffee bed at a rate of one drop every 1 to 2 seconds, taking several hours or even more than ten hours to complete extraction. Compared with iced Americano or cold brew, ice drip coffee has a cleaner, clearer mouthfeel, often with a bright fruity acidity and fermented wine-like aroma. Taking the Tiamo three-tier ice drip tower as an example, Front Street Coffee uses a 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio, extracting 600 ml of coffee liquid from 60 g of grounds, then refrigerating and resting it for more than 8 hours. This article will begin with the structure of the ice drip tower and its operating parameters, and its differences from cold brew, then analyze the reasons why ice drip coffee is priced relatively high, helping enthusiasts understand this slow, careful brewing method. [more…]

In the height of summer, a glass of cold brew coffee is undoubtedly a great choice to cool down and refresh yourself. In this article, Front Street Coffee will systematically explain how to make cold brew coffee, covering everything from the structure and operation steps of a cold drip tower, to the effect of grind size on extraction, and then to key details such as the coffee-to-water ratio and fermentation time. It will also analyze why cold brew coffee is suitable for medium-light roasted beans, and recommend Front Street Yirgacheffe Gedingding, a bean with a prominent floral and citrus flavor, to help you make a clean, bright, and clearly flavored cold brew coffee at home. [more…]

As the weather heats up, cold brew coffee has once again become a hot commodity in cafés. How exactly does it differ from an Americano? Why is it often more expensive? This article explores the making of cold brew: from the structure of a dedicated cold brew tower, a 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio, and 5–8 hours of drip filtration, to low-temperature aging for over 8 hours—a 600ml batch takes more than ten hours from start to finish. We'll also cover bean selection—single-origin beans with floral, fruity, or fermented wine-like notes are more suitable—as well as the Tiamo cold brew tower commonly used at Front Street Coffee and specific brewing parameters, to help you understand why cold brew is expensive and where its appeal lies. [more…]

On the eve of the May Day holiday, the Manner store in Shanghai's North Bund became a favorite among photography enthusiasts because it allowed them to capture the "Shanghai Four-Piece Set" all in one shot. However, tourists who visited recently found that a row of temporary stalls set up outside the store happened to block the originally perfect view, leaving many who had made a special trip to take photos greatly disappointed. At the same time, nearby residents are full of anticipation for the upcoming Shanghai International Coffee Culture Festival. One camera spot, two moods, reflecting the delicate relationship between urban public space and festival activities. This article will walk you through the whole story, along with related recommendations and practical information from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

In recent years, Beijing's Shijingshan Shougang Park has become a popular check-in spot. Peet's Coffee has transformed the abandoned coke quenching tower in the park into an industrial-style store, which drew attention as soon as it opened. Because the park has broad lawns suitable for walking dogs, many pet owners regard this new store as a pet-friendly cafe. However, after a customer with a border collie drove an hour to the store, the store manager asked them to leave, citing that there were children in the store. The store had no prohibition signage, and pet visit posts were circulating on social media, so this controversy over "pet-friendly" being more name than reality is sparking discussion among many pet parents. [more…]

On a scorching summer day, a glass of cold brew coffee is a favorite for many coffee lovers. Traditional cold brew towers are not cheap, yet they are often used infrequently, so netizens have started to brainstorm and build all kinds of "DIY cold brew" contraptions using everyday items like filter cups, drip bags, and mineral water bottles. This article rounds up several of the most representative simple home cold brew setups: from stacking filter cups, to converting drip coffee bags, to combining moxibustion racks with plant-watering nozzles—each one showcases the creativity and dedication of coffee enthusiasts. Although these homemade devices are not as precise as professional cold brew towers, they make up for it with low cost, plenty of fun, and the joy of drinking iced coffee you extracted yourself. If you'd also like to try cold brew at home, you might as well take inspiration from these ideas and use the objects around you to start a low-temperature extraction experiment. [more…]

Both cold brew and iced drip are cold-extraction iced coffees, yet they differ in preparation method, taste profile, and suitable bean types. Drawing on Front Street Coffee's practical experience, this article systematically sorts out the definitions of cold brew coffee and iced drip coffee, their operating procedures, recommended coffee-to-water ratios, and the differences in flavor between the two, and offers recommendations for light-roast single-origin beans suitable for making iced coffee, helping coffee lovers make a refreshing, smooth cup of iced black coffee in summer. [more…]

When the weather gets hot, cold drip coffee becomes the second most popular item in cafés after iced Americano. But many customers wonder: what exactly is the difference between cold drip and Americano? Why is it always more expensive? The answer actually lies in how it's made. Cold drip belongs to the broad category of cold brew, yet it's more particular than ordinary cold brew—it requires a dedicated cold drip tower and slow drip filtration with low-temperature ice water, a process that easily takes five to eight hours, plus refrigerated aging, so a 600ml pot of cold drip takes over ten hours from start to finish. The dose of grounds is also larger: 60 grams of coffee grounds yield only three cups, whereas the same amount used for pour-over yields four cups. This article, drawing on Front Street's production practices, fully breaks down where the expense of cold drip coffee lies and where the time goes. [more…]

Costa Rica has long ranked among the world's leading coffee producers and exporters, thanks to its volcanic soil, mild climate, and abundant rainfall. In recent years, however, persistent high temperatures and drought have been eroding its growing environment. In the Desamparados canton, a key production area in the Central Valley, some estates have seen yields fall by as much as 15%, and production for the 2024/25 harvest season is expected to drop 18% from the previous season. With water shortages during the flowering period, greater susceptibility to disease, aging trees, and labor shortages piling up, export volumes and foreign exchange earnings are coming under pressure. Faced with these challenges, the government has launched a low-carbon coffee program, while research institutions are promoting drought-resistant varieties and adaptive farming methods in an effort to cushion the impact of climate change. [more…]

The boundaries of coffee are constantly being pushed, from turtle jelly lattes to soy sauce syrup lattes, and now even minced garlic has entered the world of coffee. Zhou Libo's old joke about "eating garlic and drinking coffee" still lingers in our ears, yet the emergence of iced garlic latte has left both garlic lovers and haters speechless. This article will walk you through the complete steps for making this viral coffee, trace coffee's journey from the "altar" to the streets, and present netizens' genuine reactions to garlic-infused coffee. If you're also curious about the taste of garlic colliding with coffee beans, why not follow Front Street Coffee's perspective and find out. [more…]

Recently, a latte decorated with an image of the Zhengyangmen Gate Tower in Beijing sparked heated discussion on social media. The exquisite edible color-ink printing amazed many netizens with the café's ingenuity, but some also frowned at the colorful design on the surface of the liquid. What materials are actually used to make this type of color-printed coffee, jokingly called "graduate-exam level"? Does it add brilliance to the drink, or has it become a photogenic prop that looks good but is useless? Judging from shares by coffee lovers in various places, printing scenic spots, portraits, or brand logos on the surface of lattes is already nothing new, yet controversy over its taste and food safety has never ceased. This article will guide you through the production principles behind this visually stunning coffee, as well as consumers' true attitudes of love and hate toward it. [more…]

Cold brew coffee, with its mellow sweetness and acidity and refreshingly cool, pleasant flavor, has become a highly sought-after coffee drink in summer. It is made by slowly drip-extracting with ice water, then cold-fermenting at low temperature. After many enthusiasts get their hands on a cold brew tower, they are often confused about grind size, flow rate, coffee-to-water ratio, and shelf life. Using Front Street Coffee's store output as a reference, this article demonstrates the cold brew coffee-making process in detail, answers how to set the drip parameters, and explains how long the brewed coffee liquid can be stored and how the flavor changes over time. It also recommends several coffee beans suitable for making cold brew, including different types such as refreshing floral and fruity, fermented winey, and rich fruity tea notes, helping you make a cup of full-flavored cold brew coffee at home. [more…]