Beijing's Qianmen Street, an old thoroughfare carrying centuries of commercial heritage and memories of the imperial city, has now welcomed a new face—Heytea's teahouse has officially opened here. The opening promotion is quite generous: buy-one-get-one-free on a series of products for the first three days, with multiple rounds of benefits to follow. Interestingly, Starbucks opened its Reserve store at 1-1 Qianmen Street back in 2018. One champions a mix of modern minimalism and Chinese nostalgia, while the other holds fast to an antique Beijing flavor. As the two beverage giants meet head-on at the foot of the imperial city walls, what kind of sparks will fly? Can the collision between new-style tea drinks and coffee culture inject a different kind of vitality into this historic old street? [more…]

Recently, a chain brand named "People's Coffee" has sparked widespread controversy over the use of its store logo. Media pointed out that there are discrepancies between its trademark registration and actual use, which may mislead the public and damage the public value of the word "People." Subsequently, the brand "Yaochao People's Coffee" issued a statement of apology, promising comprehensive rectification, and unifying all mainland China stores under the name "Yaochao People's Coffee." Meanwhile, the first nationwide store, the Shanghai Sihang Warehouse branch, has suspended operations, and the Beijing Qianmen branch has also changed its signage and lowered drink prices. The incident continues to escalate, triggering in-depth public discussion on business ethics and legal compliance. [more…]

Friends who are just getting into coffee often struggle with the same question: for a beginner, should you choose dark-roasted or light-to-medium-roasted coffee beans? In fact, whether it's single-origin or espresso, freshness always comes first. For single-origin beans, pay attention to origin, altitude, and processing method, while for espresso beans, look at the blend recipe. The world's coffee-growing regions can be broadly divided into three major areas: Africa, Asia, and the Americas, each presenting different flavors such as floral and fruity acidity, nutty and herbal notes, or nutty and chocolatey notes. Front Street Coffee's everyday drinking beans are selected from representative regions across major growing areas, mainly using the washed process, striving to showcase the true flavors of their origins. This article will introduce Front Street Coffee's everyday drinking bean series one by one by region, and share pour-over pouring techniques and the importance of coffee bean freshness, helping beginners find the cup of coffee that suits them. [more…]

Have you ever walked into a specialty coffee shop, faced the dazzling array of single-origin coffees on the menu, and felt at a loss where to begin? Single-origin coffee refers to coffee made from beans sourced from a single origin, and it can be traced back to a specific region or even estate. This article will systematically sort through the representative single-origin coffees from major producing regions such as Africa, Central and South America, and Asia, introduce Front Street Coffee's rigorous process from roasting curve testing to cupping selection, and present the flavor descriptions of coffee beans from each region one by one, helping you find the cup that best suits your taste. [more…]

In the world of specialty coffee, acidity and body are often seen as two distinct flavor directions, and Yirgacheffe and Mandheling are precisely the representatives of these two styles. Front Street Coffee stores year-round display more than thirty kinds of coffee beans from producing regions around the world. Faced with such a rich selection, many customers ask the staff to help them choose beans suited to their own taste. Front Street usually first asks whether the customer prefers acidity or body, and then makes recommendations accordingly. This article focuses on these two directions, introducing the acidity-oriented Front Street Yirgacheffe and Front Street Kenya, as well as the body-oriented Front Street Queen's Estate Brazil and Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling, along with their respective roasting and brewing suggestions, to help coffee lovers more clearly understand the flavor logic of different bean varieties. [more…]

Faced with a dazzling array of coffee beans, many enthusiasts don't know where to start. This article begins with the definition of specialty coffee, sorts out the flavor differences among the three major producing regions of Africa, the Americas, and Asia, and introduces representative bean varieties and Front Street Coffee's everyday drinking bean series one by one according to seven origins: Ethiopia, Brazil, Indonesia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Yunnan, and Panama. It also shares how pour-over pouring techniques and coffee bean freshness affect flavor, helping readers find the cup that suits their own taste. [more…]

Many friends who are just getting into coffee often can't tell the difference between Mandheling and espresso, and may even think both are representatives of bitterness. In fact, Mandheling is a single-origin coffee, while espresso is mostly made from blended beans. So can Mandheling coffee beans be used to make SOE? How should its espresso extraction and pour-over parameters be set? How does the flavor expression differ? This article will start with a comparison between Front Street Mandheling and espresso blend beans, answer these questions in detail, and recommend several popular Front Street espresso blends and Mandheling single-origin beans, helping coffee enthusiasts more clearly understand the differences between the two and find a brewing method that suits them. [more…]

Friends who are new to coffee are often confused: how exactly should you choose coffee beans? What is the difference between specialty coffee and ordinary commercial beans? This article starts with the origin of the concept of specialty coffee, sorts out the flavor characteristics of coffee from the three major producing regions of Africa, the Americas, and Asia, and introduces one by one the representative coffees from origins such as Ethiopia, Brazil, Indonesia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Yunnan, and Panama in Front Street Coffee's everyday drinking bean series. At the same time, the article also shares the influence of pour-over pouring techniques and coffee bean freshness on flavor, helping beginners build their own coffee selection framework from scratch and find the cup that truly suits their taste. [more…]

In the world of specialty coffee, there is no absolute ranking of what tastes best—only the cup that suits your own palate. This article begins with the origins of the specialty coffee concept, systematically sorts out the flavor differences among the three major producing regions of Africa, the Americas, and Asia, and introduces one by one the regional characteristics and taste profiles of twelve common specialty pour-over coffee beans, including those from Ethiopia, Brazil, Indonesia, Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Yunnan, and Panama. At the same time, the Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) everyday beans series, as representatives of each producing region, provides coffee lovers with a clear path from beginner to advanced. Whether you are a novice just getting into black coffee or a veteran looking for daily everyday beans, you can find your own flavor coordinates in it. [more…]

This article is edited and written by FrontStreet Coffee and systematically explains the definition of single-origin coffee beans and the concept of regional flavors. Based on the flavor characteristics of the three major coffee-producing regions—Asia, Africa, and Latin America—it selects representative single-origin beans from the shop for detailed recommendations. The content covers the Indonesian Mandheling series, Yunnan Typica and Catimor, Papua New Guinea Small Blue Mountain, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and Sidamo Huakui, Kenyan washed beans, as well as Brazilian beans, the Costa Rican Musician series, and Colombian special fermentation processed beans. Each coffee includes origin, altitude, variety, processing method, and flavor description, helping beginner coffee enthusiasts choose with ease according to their taste preferences. [more…]

Sumatra is one of Indonesia's most important coffee-producing regions, world-famous for Mandheling coffee. From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article systematically reviews the historical context of Sumatran coffee, the origin of the name Mandheling, and the connection between PWN and Golden Mandheling. The article focuses on the five Mandheling coffees on Front Street's bean list—Lintong, Golden, Tiger, Aged, and Wahana Estate Natural—analyzing each one's region, processing method, and flavor characteristics, while providing an in-depth explanation of the two-stage wet-hulling process and the special craft of aged wet-hulled coffee. In addition, it includes Front Street's roasting plans and brewing suggestions for these five beans, helping coffee enthusiasts fully understand the rich, full-bodied charm of Mandheling. [more…]

Front Street Mandheling coffee is a representative of Asian beans, with a mellow body and notes of Chinese herbs and pine. This article focuses on the variety, processing method, and pour-over parameters of Front Street Mandheling coffee, with emphasis on how to use 88°C water, a coarser grind, a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, and a KONO dripper to avoid the burnt bitterness caused by over-extraction of dark-roasted beans while preserving its nutty, chocolate, and caramel sweetness. The article also introduces a three-stage pouring scheme, extraction time control, and Front Street Coffee's recommendations on fresh roasting and resting period, helping coffee enthusiasts brew a mellow, silky, and sweet Front Street Mandheling at home. [more…]

Many friends who are just getting into coffee wonder: Front Street Mandheling and espresso both have a bitter taste—are they actually the same thing? And how do the "Mandheling flavor" and "espresso flavor" labels on supermarket shelves differ? From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article first clarifies the fundamental differences between single-origin coffee and espresso in terms of definition, equipment, extraction parameters, and flavor performance, then answers common questions such as whether single-origin beans can be used to make espresso and whether Mandheling or espresso is more bitter, and finally focuses on introducing Front Street's espresso blend beans and Indonesian Mandheling series, including Sunflower Warm Sun, Specialty Blend, Commercial Blend, Dark Cocoa Blend, as well as PWN Golden Mandheling and Lindong Mandheling, to help enthusiasts choose beans according to their needs. [more…]

In the world of coffee, there is no universally recognized "best-tasting ranking," because taste varies from person to person—what truly suits you is the best. This article begins with the origins of the specialty coffee concept, sorts out the flavor differences among the three major producing regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas, and introduces one by one the coffee characteristics of representative origins such as Ethiopia, Brazil, Indonesia, Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Yunnan, and Panama. At the same time, drawing on Front Street Coffee's approach to selecting everyday beans, it explains the influence of washed and natural processing methods on flavor, as well as the role of pour-over pouring techniques and coffee bean freshness in the final cup, providing coffee lovers with a systematic reference for understanding and purchasing single-origin coffee. [more…]

To brew pour-over coffee at home that rivals a café, choosing the right beans is only half the battle—brewing technique matters just as much. In this guide, compiled by Front Street Coffee, we'll first introduce you to Japan's four most iconic pour-over methods—the Matsuya style, the Kono style, the volcano pour, and the zigzag pouring method—breaking down the key steps and flavor outcomes of each. Then, organized by the three major growing regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas, we'll recommend high-value single-origin coffee beans for pour-over beginners, including Front Street washed Yirgacheffe, Front Street Lintong Mandheling, Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling, and Front Street Guatemala Huehuetenango, along with specific brewing parameters and technique tips to help you find the cup that best suits your taste. [more…]

Mandheling coffee is renowned for its herbal aroma and heavy body, standing out uniquely in the specialty coffee wave. From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article traces the historical development of Indonesian Sumatra coffee, analyzes the origin of the name Mandheling, and introduces one by one the origin background, processing methods, and flavor characteristics of five Front Street Mandheling coffee beans: Lintong, Gold, Tiger, Aged, and Wahana Estate Sun-Dried. It also covers the specific process of wet hulling, roasting suggestions, and brewing parameters for each bean, helping coffee enthusiasts gain a comprehensive understanding of the diverse facets of Mandheling. [more…]

Mandheling is the representative coffee of Sumatra, Indonesia, renowned for its rich, herbal flavor. Front Street Coffee's year-round offerings, PWN Golden Mandheling and Lintong Mandheling, though both belonging to the Mandheling family, present distinct flavor profiles due to differences in origin, screening standards, and processing details. This article begins with the historical origins and naming of Mandheling, traces the development of Sumatran coffee, and focuses on comparing the varietal characteristics, processing methods, and cupping performance of PWN Golden Mandheling and Lintong Mandheling. It also introduces Front Street Tiger Mandheling, Aged Mandheling, and Wahana Estate Natural Mandheling. Additionally, it provides roasting approaches, brewing parameters, and flavor descriptions for the five beans, helping coffee enthusiasts understand how the wet-hulling process shapes Mandheling's classic taste, as well as the diverse possibilities of Mandheling in the specialty coffee wave. [more…]

Front Street Coffee has found that beginner coffee enthusiasts often perceive Front Street Mandheling as very bitter, and espresso as bitter too (though of course it's not bitter after adding milk and sugar), so sometimes they even think the two should taste the same, or they may make some comparisons in their minds. [more…]

Sumatra, Indonesia is the birthplace of Mandheling coffee, and its unique wet-hulling process gives the coffee low acidity, full body, and herbal flavors. Front Street Coffee has long followed the Sumatra region. This article reviews the origin of the name Mandheling, the connection between PWN Company and Golden Mandheling, and focuses on comparing the flavor characteristics and roasting suggestions of five beans: Front Street Lintong Mandheling, Golden Mandheling, Tiger Mandheling, Aged Mandheling, and Wahana Estate Natural Mandheling. Whether you are a beginner just getting to know Mandheling or a coffee enthusiast wanting to understand the wet-hulling process in depth, you can gain a systematic understanding of the region and practical brewing references from it. [more…]

Speaking of Front Street Mandheling coffee, there's a rather curious phenomenon at Front Street: in the past, Front Street Mandheling coffee was mostly favored by men, but now women have gradually come to like it too! If you're used to the taste of Ethiopian coffee, then trying Front Street Mandheling coffee may feel unfamiliar; but if [more…]