Coca-Cola recently launched an herbal tea product called "Prunella vulgaris," but its name and packaging color scheme triggered collective misreading among netizens, many of whom associated it at first glance with the pesticide "paraquat." Meanwhile, Wong Lo Kat is also vigorously promoting "Waterfall Iced Cantonese Style" in its physical stores, combining concentrated herbal tea with fruit soda and ice, imitating coffee's visual appeal and sense of ritual. From Coca-Cola's naming mishap to Wong Lo Kat's attempt to turn herbal tea into coffee, traditional herbal tea brands all seem anxious to break through the limitations of their consumption scenarios. Are these crossover moves genuine innovation breakthroughs, or helpless measures by brands under performance pressure? [more…]

In Guangdong, people call pure coffee with no milk and no sugar "zai coffee," which is what we usually call black coffee. This category of coffee covers Americano, pour-over, ice drip, cold brew, and pure coffee liquid obtained through various extraction methods such as the moka pot and French press. Among them, iced Americano, with its refreshing taste and low-calorie characteristics, has become a favorite for summer refreshment and for fitness enthusiasts. Starting from the definition, this article analyzes the similarities and differences between zai coffee, Americano, and pour-over, and shares how Front Street Coffee stores use their own blend beans to present a cup of well-balanced iced Americano, while also discussing the effects and precautions of drinking black coffee in moderation on health. [more…]

Recently, a trend of pouring Huoxiang Zhengqi Shui (a traditional Chinese medicine for heatstroke) into iced Americano has spread rapidly online, with many coffee enthusiasts eager to try it. From the earlier practice of adding ice cubes to herbal tea, to later mixing traditional Chinese medicine granules into coffee, and now directly pouring Huoxiang Zhengqi Shui into iced Americano, these "medicated coffee" concoctions keep escalating. However, Huoxiang Zhengqi Shui is, after all, a medicine, and its ingredients may irritate the stomach and intestines. When mixed with coffee, it can easily trigger gastrointestinal spasms, leading to abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and other discomforts. Curiosity is understandable, but casually mixing medicine with coffee has crossed the boundary of safety. This article will start with the origins of this trend and discuss why this way of drinking is not worth promoting. [more…]

In recent years, the popularity of homemade coffee on social platforms has continued to climb. From Xiaohongshu to Douyin, related topics have reached view counts in the hundreds of thousands. From the earliest simple recreations of coconut lattes, to richly layered fruit-infused specialty drinks, and then to wildly imaginative creative twists, netizens keep reinventing the way coffee is enjoyed. Why has homemade coffee gone viral so quickly? And what impact has it had on coffee shops? This article will sort through the evolution of popular homemade coffee on Xiaohongshu, analyze the shifts in consumer habits and cost advantages behind it, and explore the relationship between homemade coffee and the professional path of coffee shops. At the same time, the article also retains relevant information about brands such as Front Street Coffee for coffee enthusiasts to reference and discuss. [more…]

In Guangdong, coffee culture and herbal tea tradition have collided to create an unexpected spark. When baristas apply professional techniques like pour-over and espresso to herbal tea granules such as Xiàsāngjú and Bǎnlángēn, what kind of wondrous beverages are born? This article introduces you to three wildly imaginative "herbal tea coffees"—pour-over Xiàsāngjú, espresso Qinghuǒ granules, and a Cantonese-style specialty. From 40°C low-temperature drip filtration to pressurized espresso machine extraction, every step is full of experimental spirit. However, a word of caution: these creative drinks may cause gastrointestinal discomfort, so please do not imitate them rashly. At the end of the article, there are also recommendations for professional coffee information channels such as Front Street Coffee, for enthusiasts to engage in deeper exchange. [more…]

KFC's KCOFFEE continues to deepen its presence in the coffee sector and is about to launch a limited-edition drink in collaboration with the Chinese time-honored brand Wanglaoji — a Wanglaoji-flavored sparkling Americano. On one side is a Western-style fast-food coffee brand accelerating its expansion, and on the other is a representative of Cantonese herbal tea with nearly two hundred years of history. This collision of "Chinese and American herbal tea" has sparked considerable discussion. Yet before the new product even hit the shelves, netizens had already easily replicated it with Wanglaoji plus sparkling water. Can the consumer-friendly price of 9.9 yuan win over customers? What attempts has Wanglaoji made in recent years to appeal to young people? And can KFC replicate the success of Luckin and Moutai through this collaboration? This article will focus on this cross-industry cooperation, sorting through both sides' brand backgrounds, market situations, and collaboration highlights, for the reference of coffee enthusiasts. [more…]

For many people, the first impression of coffee is the word "bitter"—that deep, dark flavor can even evoke the experience of drinking Chinese herbal medicine. But can coffee really be equated with Chinese herbal medicine? From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, coffee does indeed have certain medicinal value: it is pungent and warm in nature, and can refresh the mind, boost kidney yang, and promote diuresis. However, hot Americano and Chinese herbal medicine differ fundamentally in extraction method, purpose of consumption, and purchasing channels. This article will examine the similarities and differences between coffee and Chinese herbal medicine from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, and take you through the evolution of coffee flavor from "bitter" to "sour," to see just how rich and varied black coffee can actually be. [more…]

Recently, a netizen posted online claiming to have found a cockroach in a can of Guangdong-style pineapple beer, an old domestic brand beverage purchased during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the related photos quickly sparked widespread attention. The poster said that when pouring it out to drink that day, they noticed a foreign object resembling a cockroach larva at the can opening, and subsequently blurred the image as required by the platform. Many netizens in the comments expressed shock and even strong discomfort. Some netizens explained that the foreign object in the picture might be a cockroach egg capsule, possibly caused by cockroaches crawling in and laying eggs during storage. This Guangdong national drink, founded in 1934, carries the childhood memories of several generations, and this incident has deeply saddened many consumers. The manufacturer responded that the production process is strictly hygienic, the possibility of foreign objects is extremely low, and no complaint had been received through official channels. The truth of the incident remains to be verified, but food safety, as a bottom-line issue, has once again sounded the alarm of a trust crisis for an old brand. [more…]

When you want iced coffee in summer, there's actually more than one option. Iced Americano, iced pour-over, cold brew, and iced drip are the four common types of iced coffee, and they differ in extraction method, preparation time, equipment requirements, and final flavor. Iced Americano and iced pour-over are made by first brewing hot coffee and then chilling it with ice, while cold brew and iced drip use cold water for extraction throughout. Starting from these dimensions, Front Street Coffee explains the methods and characteristics of each type of iced coffee one by one, including specific parameters, suitable coffee beans, and taste differences, to help you make the cup you want at home. [more…]

More and more people are drinking iced coffee in summer, but can you really tell apart these four common types of iced coffee: iced Americano, iced pour-over, cold brew, and iced drip? Although they are all called iced coffee, there are actually considerable differences from extraction principles to preparation time, and then to the final flavor expression. This article sorts out the similarities and differences of these four kinds of iced coffee one by one from four dimensions: extraction method, preparation time, difficulty of home operation, and taste characteristics. The article also includes the specific brewing parameters and steps of Front Street Coffee, including practical plans for beans such as Front Street Sunflower Warm Sun, Fruit Ding Ding, and Strawberry Candy, to help you more clearly understand what kind of beans and scenarios each type of iced coffee is suitable for, and also make it convenient to replicate at home. [more…]

As the weather warms up, iced coffee gradually becomes the top choice for coffee lovers. Iced pour-over, iced Americano, cold brew, and iced drip are four common types of iced coffee. Although they all carry the word "iced," they each have their own distinct characteristics in extraction principles, preparation methods, and flavor expression. Iced pour-over and iced Americano both adopt the approach of extracting a high-concentration brew and then diluting it with ice, but the former relies on a dripper for pour-over, while the latter uses espresso as its base. Cold brew and iced drip both belong to the category of low-temperature, long-duration extraction, offering a full-bodied taste with rich layers. The difference lies in that cold brew uses an immersion method, while iced drip relies on water droplets continuously penetrating the coffee grounds. In this article, Front Street Coffee will break down the brewing parameters and flavor characteristics of these four iced coffees one by one, helping you find the cup that best suits your taste. [more…]

On a scorching summer day, a glass of iced coffee always brings a refreshing coolness that delights the senses. But have you noticed that when the same beans are made into an iced drink, the flavor always seems to fall a bit short? In fact, temperature quietly changes our perception of taste—low temperatures mute sweetness and bitterness, while making acidity more pronounced. For this very reason, making iced coffee involves special considerations from bean selection to extraction. This article will walk you through the century-long history of iced coffee, break down the recipe ratios for iced Americano and iced latte, and share several Front Street Coffee espresso beans suited to making iced drinks, so you can easily recreate a professional-grade summer iced coffee at home. [more…]

On a hot summer day, a glass of iced coffee always brings refreshment and a pick-me-up. There are four common types of iced coffee: iced Americano, iced pour-over, cold brew, and iced drip. Each has its own characteristics in terms of extraction method, preparation time, difficulty of operation, and flavor profile, making them suitable for people with different taste preferences. Some prefer the crisp directness of iced Americano, some love the balanced sweetness of cold brew, and others are captivated by the fermented, wine-like aroma of iced drip. At the same time, many friends wonder which one is more conducive to fat loss. Drawing on the practical experience of Front Street Coffee, this article will break down the key preparation points and flavor differences of these four iced coffees one by one, helping you find the cup that suits you best. [more…]

As the weather warms up, iced coffee becomes a favorite for many. The four common types of iced coffee—iced pour-over, iced americano, cold brew, and ice drip—each have their own nuances in extraction method, flavor profile, and brewing parameters. Using Front Street Coffee's production practices as an example, this article breaks down the specific methods for each of the four iced coffees one by one: how to choose the coffee-to-water ratio for iced pour-over, how to control the ratio of espresso to ice water for iced americano, the steeping time and grind size for cold brew, and the flow rate and extraction duration for ice drip. Whether you want to recreate these at home or understand the operational logic of baristas, you'll find practical references here. [more…]

I believe many friends know that although iced drip coffee, like iced Americano, iced latte, and iced pour-over, falls under the category of iced coffee, the price of iced drip coffee is always considerably higher than other iced coffees, and sometimes the portion is even smaller. For example, a cup of Americano at Front Street Coffee is 23 yuan, while a cup of iced drip coffee is 40 yuan, making the latter more expensive than the former by [more…]

On a scorching summer day, a glass of iced coffee always brings refreshing, invigorating delight. Iced Americano, iced latte, cold brew, and iced drip—these four popular iced coffees each have their own merits: the iced Americano uses espresso plus ice water to deliver zero-guilt refreshment, the iced latte wraps the richness of coffee in milk, while cold brew and iced drip rely on low-temperature extraction to fully release coffee's roundness, fullness, and clean flavors. This article walks you through recreating café-quality iced coffee step by step, from brewing methods and equipment selection to coffee bean recommendations, and shares Front Street Coffee's Classic Blend, Strawberry Candy, as well as bean varieties suited to iced drinks such as Butterfly, Red Cherry, and Mozart, helping you find your own summer flavor. [more…]

When you walk into a coffee shop and order an iced black coffee, you'll often be asked whether you want ice drip, cold brew, or iced Americano. What exactly is the difference between these three iced coffees? From Front Street's perspective, this article sorts out the differences between cold brew and ice drip in terms of extraction method, clarity of taste, and storage time, and also compares the high-temperature rapid extraction characteristics of iced Americano. The article also discusses whether cold brew really has lower acidity, the caffeine content levels of the three iced coffees, and the caffeine misconceptions about espresso and drip coffee, helping you choose the right cup according to flavor and occasion. [more…]

On a scorching summer day, a glass of iced coffee always brings a refreshing and invigorating effect. But did you know that common iced coffee is actually divided into four major categories: iced pour-over, iced Americano, cold brew, and iced drip? Each uses a different extraction method, and their flavor profiles vary greatly. In this article, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) will walk you through the characteristics of these four types of iced coffee one by one, and share the specific methods our baristas use to make them in-store, including key parameters such as coffee bean selection, coffee-to-water ratio, grind size, and extraction time. Whether you prefer a light, refreshing taste or a rich, intense flavor, you'll find the perfect cup for you. [more…]

Walking into a coffee shop, do you often feel confused by the dazzling array of coffee names on the menu? Espresso, Cappuccino, CafeLatte, Americano... these seemingly familiar words—what coffee flavors do they actually correspond to? This article systematically compiles the Chinese and English names of common types of coffee, covering multiple categories such as Italian classics, French drip, iced coffee series, flavored cappuccino, Americano variations, single-origin coffees, and specialty blended coffees, totaling dozens of Chinese-English coffee comparisons. Whether you are a coffee enthusiast just starting out or a seasoned drinker looking to expand your knowledge, this list can help you quickly build a complete cognitive framework of coffee names. The article also specially includes product recommendations from Front Street Coffee, making it convenient for you, after learning the names, to find the corresponding good beans and experience them yourself. [more…]

In the hot summer, iced coffee becomes the top choice for many people. But can you accurately tell the difference between these four common types of iced coffee: iced Americano, iced pour-over, cold brew, and ice drip? Front Street Coffee systematically sorts out the characteristics of these four iced coffees from four dimensions: extraction method, preparation time, ease of operation, and flavor and mouthfeel. This article will explain in detail the specific preparation method for each type of iced coffee, including recommended parameters for coffee beans such as Front Street Classic Espresso Blend, Fruit Ding Ding, and Strawberry Candy, to help you choose the iced coffee preparation method that best suits your own conditions and taste preferences. [more…]