Starbucks has announced it will not renew its contract with Fairtrade, meaning coffee sold in its global stores will no longer carry the Fairtrade certification label. This decision has raised questions about its commitment to ethical sourcing. Starbucks says it will instead rely on the C.A.F.E. Practices standard, developed jointly with Conservation International and independently audited by the third-party organization SCS Global Services. However, many groups worry that without Fairtrade's independent oversight, the C.A.F.E. standard may not truly safeguard coffee farmers' rights on core issues such as minimum purchase prices and sourcing from smallholder cooperatives. This article reviews the history of Starbucks' partnership with Fairtrade, the origins and controversies of C.A.F.E. Practices, and Starbucks' past reversals on its ethical sourcing stance, offering coffee lovers a full picture of this event. [more…]

Recently, the National Consumers League (NCL) filed a lawsuit against Starbucks in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, accusing its "100% ethically sourced" marketing of deceiving consumers. NCL pointed out that Starbucks emphasizes ethical sourcing commitments in its marketing, yet fails to effectively address labor abuses such as child labor and forced labor in its coffee supply chain. Since 2015, Starbucks has claimed that 99% of its coffee is ethically sourced. Although its C.A.F.E. Practices program includes multiple indicators, investigative journalists in Brazil and elsewhere have still found violations at certified farms. Starbucks responded that it will vigorously defend itself and stressed that it works with farms to ensure compliance with standards. [more…]

A cup of commercial espresso at the bar has its origins thousands of kilometers away at the source. Blending is not as simple as pouring several bags of roasted beans together and mixing them evenly—a professional roaster's blend is designed from the moment green beans are purchased. Understanding this upstream perspective can help shop owners see through many of the "whys" when selecting beans. The starting point of a blend is the recipe definition. [more…]

Recently, the Market Supervision Bureau of Yuecheng District, Shaoxing City, investigated and penalized a popular coffee shop. The shop was found using imported coffee beans without Chinese labels and could not provide proof of legal origin. It was also involved in selling coffee equipment without Chinese labels. Ultimately, it was fined 25,000 yuan and the related products were confiscated. This case reveals a common compliance risk in the procurement and use of coffee beans by specialty coffee shops: whether self-roasting or external procurement, coffee bean raw materials require corresponding food business or production licenses and product qualification inspection reports. As market supervision intensifies, coffee operators urgently need to self-check risks to ensure legal and compliant operations. [more…]

The place where Geisha originated is in Panama, while its origin is in Ethiopia. Therefore, people often compare the Geisha from these two regions! And the "Geisha 1931" and "Gori Geisha" bean varieties are recognized by people as representatives of [more…]

Italian coffee brand Lavazza recently held its first brand exhibition in Shanghai at Sinan Mansions, titled "A Century of Coffee Art." The exhibition features five distinctive zones, ranging from classic coffee cup art installations to a simulated space station, from antique coffee machines to an artistic photography exhibition, and from coffee blending experiences to an immersive Italian street scene, comprehensively showcasing the cultural heritage and innovative spirit of this 128-year-old Italian coffee brand. The exhibition is free and open to the public, and the first 200 visitors each day can enjoy coffee for just 0.1 yuan. Meanwhile, Lavazza's development in the Chinese market has drawn considerable attention, evolving from its early lukewarm reception to rapid expansion following its partnership with Yum China, with its "thousand-store plan" steadily advancing. [more…]

Floral coffee aromas primarily come from three sources: variety (the orange blossom of Geisha), processing (the fermented florals of natural processing), and origin (the jasmine of Ethiopia). Front Street Coffee's Kaffa Forest floral notes lean toward the tea-like direction, with orange and apricot followed by the sweet aftertaste of oolong tea; Granja Estate Geisha's orange blossom and guava, on the other hand, is a blend of floral and fruity [more…]

In the high-altitude producing regions of Ethiopia, the name Hambela has often been mentioned in recent years. It is located in the Guji region, and the Gesha coffee it produces has become popular for its rich fruity aroma, while the region's own high-altitude environment is an important source of its sweetness. Where Hambela is located Hambela is situated in the high-altitude zone of the Guji region in southern Ethiopia, [more…]

In the high-altitude growing regions of Ethiopia, the name Hambela has been mentioned frequently in recent years. It is located in the Guji region, and the Huakui coffee it produces has become popular for its rich fruity aroma, while the region's high-altitude environment is precisely an important source of sweetness. Where Hambela Is Located Hambela is situated in the high-altitude zone of the Guji region in southern Ethiopia, [more…]

Many coffee enthusiasts feel puzzled when tasting coffee with floral notes—why can others detect jasmine and rose scents, while you can only perceive fruity flavors? In fact, capturing the floral notes in coffee is not a talent; it requires understanding the source of the aromas and mastering the correct tasting methods. The floral notes in coffee come from the combination of various compounds such as terpenes, alcohols, and aldehydes, which also exist in real flowers and trigger our memories and associations with fresh blooms through olfactory stimulation. This article, drawing on Front Street's tasting experience, systematically explains how to enhance perception by breaking down floral characteristics, and provides a detailed introduction to three common types of floral notes in coffee—light floral, subtle floral, and dense floral—along with corresponding Front Street bean list recommendations, to help you more easily detect the floral notes in coffee. [more…]

Oat milk, as a dairy-free plant-based milk, has attracted much attention in coffee circles and the field of healthy eating in recent years, and chain brands such as Starbucks have also adopted Oatly oat milk as a milk alternative. It is especially suitable for vegans, people with lactose intolerance, and consumers allergic to milk. During production, oat milk is made by soaking oats, filtering the slurry, and often adding extra nutrients such as calcium and vitamin B12, making its nutritional value richer. Front Street Coffee will guide you through understanding the specific health benefits of oat milk and compare its nutritional differences with whole milk and low-fat milk, helping you choose the dairy drink that suits you in a more scientific way. [more…]

When drinking coffee, you may occasionally encounter a salty taste. This is not an illusion, nor is there anything wrong with your sense of taste. Coffee itself contains four basic tastes: sour, sweet, bitter, and salty, which balance each other out. Once sweetness is insufficient, saltiness tends to emerge. The sources of saltiness are quite complex, potentially involving the processing method, coffee bean variety and altitude, defective beans, brewing water, roast level and freshness, as well as extraction technique, among other factors. Among these, espresso tends to have a more pronounced salty sensation due to the relationship between taste distribution and concentration. This article will go through the causes of saltiness one by one, while retaining Front Street brand recommendations, to help coffee enthusiasts understand and try to avoid brewing a cup of coffee with a salty taste. [more…]

Many people are puzzled the first time they taste black coffee with a sour note: is this normal? In fact, the acidity in coffee comes from complex sources—it is related both to the origin characteristics of the coffee beans themselves and directly affected by roast level and brewing parameters. Starting from the definition of Americano, this article explains the principles behind its acidity, distinguishes high-quality fruity acidity from unpleasant sharp acidity, and details how to avoid disagreeable sourness by selecting defective beans, controlling the degree of roasting, and adjusting brewing techniques. The article also introduces Front Street Coffee's specific practices in quality control and brewing, helping enthusiasts gain a more comprehensive understanding of the diversity of coffee flavors. [more…]

In the early hours of May 17, 2021, residents in several districts of Shanghai reported on Weibo that a rich coffee aroma was drifting through the air. Some thought a neighbor was brewing coffee, while others suspected a family member was secretly drinking coffee late at night. This mysterious scent smelled like instant coffee, mixed with burnt and sesame oil notes. Subsequently, rumors spread online that a flavoring factory in Minhang District had experienced a gas leak, with speculation that the leaked substance was furfuryl mercaptan. Shanghai's fire and ecological environment departments responded that they had not received any reports of related accidents and had launched an investigation, but no abnormalities were found at the scene, and the source is still under verification. As a "city of coffee" with nearly 8,000 coffee shops, Shanghai's real-life coffee aroma diffusion incident has sparked widespread attention. [more…]

The U.S. government plans to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian imports, triggering a strong reaction from Canada's coffee industry. Some independent cafes are renaming "Americano" to "Canadiano" in protest, while the domestic chain brand Tims has chosen to tackle the issue at the supply chain level, planning to reduce its reliance on American suppliers and shift toward local sourcing. However, this adjustment could affect multiple links such as coffee beans, ingredient materials, and packaging materials, thereby impacting product taste, packaging, and even pricing. At the same time, Canadian consumers' acceptance of "100% localized" products remains to be seen, as the previously launched local egg breakfast series met with a cold market reception. [more…]

Planning to open a coffee shop—where should you buy beans, and how should you choose them? This article centers on the sourcing dilemmas faced by independent cafés and small neighborhood shops, and systematically sorts through the highlights of Front Street Coffee’s bean lineup: there are more than 50 specialty beans, along with 4 espresso blends tucked in as well. The article focuses on the widely popular washed Yirgacheffe and PWN·Golden Mandheling, including origin information, flavor descriptions, and brewing parameters, and then breaks down one by one the positioning and recipe approach of the four espresso blends—Black Cocoa, Specialty, Commercial, and Warm Sun. Finally, it summarizes practical points to note when buying coffee beans—check the roast date, grasp the optimal tasting window, choose beans or ground coffee, and select beans according to the extraction method—to help you find a reliable coffee bean source. [more…]

Is the sourness in coffee good or bad? Some people believe that sourness means the coffee is not fresh, while others regard it as a hallmark of high-quality coffee. In fact, green coffee beans themselves are rich in organic acids, most of which decompose or disappear after roasting, leaving only a limited variety of organic acids in the final cup. The latest research shows that there are not many acids that our taste buds can clearly identify, and much of the fruity acidity we perceive actually comes from the combined association of sourness with other flavors. The latest SCA cupping form classifies acidity into two categories—"sweet type" and "dry type"—helping us more accurately judge whether a coffee's acidity is good or bad. This article, from the professional perspective of Front Street Coffee, will provide an in-depth analysis of the sources of coffee acidity and the criteria for evaluating it. [more…]

Coffee and soy milk are often compared with each other, but the two are actually completely different from plant source to production method. This article starts with botanical classification, sorting out the fundamental differences between the coffee tree and the soybean, then compares the water-grinding and filtration process of soy milk with the process coffee must go through—roasting, grinding, and brewing—and further explains the sources of coffee's four flavors: acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and body, as well as the significance of the oils on the coffee surface for espresso. The article also introduces the four common stages of coffee roasting, helping beginners build a systematic framework for understanding coffee, making it suitable for enthusiasts new to coffee and baristas as an introductory reference. [more…]

The siphon is a coffee brewing device full of retro charm. Although it is no longer commonly seen in coffee shops today, a group of loyal enthusiasts still insist on using it to make coffee. This article will start with the structure and principle of the siphon, then introduce the choice between cloth filters and paper filters, a comparison of heat sources, recommended coffee beans, and how to judge the order of adding grounds, the grind setting, the coffee-to-water ratio, the stirring method, and when to turn off the heat. It also includes Front Street Coffee’s usual complete operating procedure to help beginners get started quickly and make a cup of siphon coffee with rich aroma and a full-bodied taste. [more…]

Ethiopia is both the birthplace of coffee and the genetic treasury of specialty coffee worldwide. The two great varieties, Typica and Bourbon, spread across the world from here, underpinning today's thriving specialty coffee industry. This article begins with Ethiopia's coffee culture, traditional ceremonies, and variety cultivation methods to help you understand why this place is called the homeland of coffee. Ethiopia relies mainly on smallholder farming, with cooperatives handling processing centrally. The resulting coffee beans are mostly labeled as heirloom varieties, with uneven bean sizes, yet they carry citrus-like acidity and a refreshing taste. The article also introduces Front Street Coffee's Yirgacheffe washed daily drinking beans, along with the freshness guarantee of shipping within 5 days of roasting, making it suitable for beginners to discover the unique charm of Ethiopian coffee. [more…]