In the scorching summer heat, Peet's Coffee launched a trio of sparkling double yuzu series new products in one go, among which the Sparkling Matcha Double Yuzu quickly went viral on social media thanks to its fresh gradient colors. However, this drink, described as a "concerto of tea and fruit," left many consumers stunned once they actually tasted it—the sweetness of tonic water, the bitterness of matcha, and the sourness of yuzu each went their own way under the stimulation of carbonation, even taking on a powdery texture. Even Peet's own employees admitted that this new product being "unpopular" was entirely expected. This article combines netizens' hands-on reviews and employee opinions to comprehensively analyze the flavor performance of this drink, and reviews the recent shifts in Peet's product strategy, for the reference of coffee enthusiasts. [more…]

Japan's Lupicia is renowned for its rich and diverse tea bag series, and its Book 100 series brings together over a hundred teas with distinct flavors. Starting from the top 10 popularity ranking, this article reviews signature offerings one by one, including Kyoho, White Peach Oolong, and TOKIO Tokyo Wild Berry, while also taking an in-depth look at the flavor differences between Ceylon Dimbula and Darjeeling black tea. At the same time, it analyzes the real performance of specialty teas such as Nilgiri, deep-steamed sencha, and Cherry Black Tea. Whether you are a beginner just getting into Lupicia or a seasoned tea drinker looking for an everyday staple, this review can help you find the one that suits you best. Front Street Coffee will also combine tasting experience to share practical advice on selecting and brewing. [more…]

As summer 2023 approaches, Starbucks China has rolled out a dense lineup of new products, spanning iced shaken espressos, fruity sparkling cold brews, and the raw coffee series that contains no coffee yet does contain caffeine. This article provides a complete rundown of these new items' prices, sizes, and flavor characteristics, while also compiling the menus and pricing from medium to large for classic series such as handcrafted espresso, Frappuccino, Teavana, and cold brew, making it easy for coffee lovers to look things up quickly. For readers who prefer brewing at home, they can also refer to Front Street Coffee's bean recommendations to recreate similar flavors themselves. [more…]

Manner recently quietly launched two new drinks—Green Tonic and Arctic Ocean Orange Americano—sparking lively discussion among coffee enthusiasts. The Green Tonic is made with tonic water and matcha liquid, featuring an attractive layered look, but its taste is both sour and bitter, described as "the mood of squeezing onto a peak-hour train in 42°C heat." The Arctic Ocean Orange Americano has been criticized for being highly similar to the existing Iced Orange Americano. Some fans complain that the new items are merely rearrangements of existing ingredients, and even calculated that the brand could still make 33 more drinks. Manner has always been known for consistent quality, but these two new items have left some loyal customers disappointed. [more…]

Manner Coffee has once again drawn attention, this time by teaming up with Tesla for a co-branded campaign. As a recognized master of collaborations in the coffee world, Manner's cross-industry footprint has already covered automobiles, luxury goods, beauty, sports, and many other sectors. From NIO to LV, from Helena Rubinstein to Allbirds, each partnership has precisely captured the brand tone, creating a win-win of both buzz and sales. This article will review Manner's major co-branding cases over the years, analyze the brand strategy and consumer psychology behind its success, and include professional information recommendations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Heytea recently launched a new triple-thick matcha product, claiming to combine matcha tea, thick matcha cheese milk cap, matcha jelly, and thick matcha glutinous rice balls and other rich toppings, attracting many matcha lovers to try it first. However, the first wave of feedback showed a clear gap from expectations: many consumers complained that the glutinous rice balls were runny and not chewy, even describing them as hard to swallow; the matcha drink had a heavy powdery taste, leaving the mouth dry and the throat coated after drinking; despite being called "triple-thick matcha," the tea flavor was rather weak, and even adding more intensity brought limited change. Matcha enthusiasts, after comparing the Heytea series with the rich, sweet aftertaste they idealize, gave comments such as "watery" and "thin and bland." The brand may have blended milk and syrup to cater to mass tastes, but this is far removed from the bitter depth and sweet finish pursued by seasoned matcha lovers. [more…]

Blue Bottle Coffee's first Shanghai store recently officially opened by the Suzhou Creek in Jing'an District, housed in a historic building originally built in 1926—the former senior staff dormitory of the Yutong Flour Mill. On opening day, long lines formed outside the store, with some customers waiting up to 7 hours to get in. This chain brand, known for pour-over coffee and its preference for renovating old buildings, offers a relatively concise menu featuring rare items such as Gibraltar, filtered café au lait, and New Orleans-style iced coffee. The first floor of the store has a modern style, while the second floor has a vintage style, and displays a 60-year-old FAEMA espresso machine. This article takes you on a virtual visit to this highly anticipated new coffee shop. [more…]

Matcha, a tea beverage originating from the Tang and Song dynasties, is once again gaining popularity among young people. The new tea beverage brand Heytea recently announced its return to the matcha product line, launching two new products, "Marlmoli" and "Rich Matcha Green Beauty," featuring custom thousand-mesh matcha and a rotating cup lid design, and specifically recommends that consumers drink it at a 45-degree angle. This article introduces the features, pricing, and consumer feedback of Heytea's new matcha products, as well as the craft knowledge behind matcha powder mesh counts. At the same time, Front Street Coffee, a brand familiar to coffee enthusiasts, will also interpret the matcha trend for you from a professional perspective. [more…]

Heytea's "Triple Thick Matcha" has been jokingly called a "matcha family bucket" for combining thick matcha cheese milk cap, matcha jelly, and thick matcha glutinous rice, drawing a large crowd of matcha lovers eager to try it. However, this hot-selling drink has become a nightmare for employees at the store level. The thick matcha glutinous rice looks like it only requires stirring matcha powder, glutinous rice flour, milk, and condensed milk into a sticky paste, but in reality it is extremely arm-tiring to make, and if you are not careful it can burn at the bottom and smoke, ruining the entire pot of topping. During peak sales, employees stir until they can no longer lift their arms, and some even hope the brand will discontinue it. At the same time, some consumers are not buying it either, complaining that the glutinous rice fills the stomach and has a gluey texture. This article examines both the employee and customer sides to break down why this drink—"hard for staff to cook, hard for customers to enjoy"—remains so controversial. [more…]

After the beginning of summer, lemon tea drinks enter their peak sales season. Luckin took the opportunity to launch two lemon teas, a classic one and a matcha one, and the vibrant green matcha lemon tea quickly attracted matcha lovers to place orders and try it with its distinctive appearance. However, many consumers reported that although this drink looks great, its taste is dominated by a sweet-and-sour lemon flavor and noticeable sweetness, with almost no trace of the expected matcha aroma. Some also found that after sitting for a while, it separates and forms sediment, and while matcha particles can be felt when drinking it, the flavor and the lemon taste remain separate. Around this new product, there is both joking and defending, and this article walks you through its formula, taste controversy, and netizen reviews, with a perspective from the Front Street Coffee brand familiar to coffee lovers. [more…]

Matcha and coffee may seem to belong to two different worlds, but what kind of flavor collision would occur if we borrowed the brewing logic of matcha to make coffee? Before getting hands-on, Front Street Coffee will first take everyone back through the historical origins of matcha—it began with the whisked tea method of China's Song Dynasty, and after localized evolution, became part of Japanese tea ceremony culture, which emphasizes the spirit of "harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility." Traditional matcha brewing requires a small amount of matcha powder with 70°C~80°C warm water, first blended in a bowl with a tea whisk, then a measured amount of warm water is added and whisked to create foam, producing a thick, delicate layer of foam. This article unfolds around the origins of matcha, key brewing points, and the specific method for making matcha coffee, while preserving relevant images and recommendation information in appropriate places. [more…]

Luckin Coffee recently launched a new product, "Triple Cheese Thick Matcha," featuring a combination of thousand-mesh-grade matcha and a daily freshly whipped matcha cloud top, attracting a large number of matcha lovers to place orders and try it out. However, shortly after the new product hit the market, many consumers received notices that stores had canceled orders or showed it as sold out. The reason was not that demand exceeded supply, but that the matcha cloud top prepared in advance by stores developed an abnormal solidification after refrigeration—the milk cap that should have been fluid turned into a solid texture resembling dry choking yogurt or matcha cement, and even when the container was turned upside down, it did not move at all. Management in many places had to urgently notify stores to suspend sales depending on the situation. Was it a formula problem or an error in the operation process? Luckin's R&D department was also collectively criticized by frontline employees because of this. [more…]

On August 27, while releasing its 2024 interim results report, Haidilao announced a striking appointment: Zhang Junjie, founder of Chagee, will join the board as an independent non-executive director for a three-year term with an annual salary of 1.2 million yuan. This cross-industry collaboration quickly sparked heated discussion among netizens, with some speculating whether the two companies might merge, while others pointed out that the two parties had already collaborated through Shuhai Supply Chain. Zhang Junjie is only 29 years old but has over 13 years of experience in the catering industry. His founded Chagee achieved a store growth rate of 233% in 2023, with total sales exceeding 10.8 billion yuan. Haidilao's move is interpreted as an important step in its product diversification strategy, particularly in exploring the handcrafted tea beverage sector. This article will provide a detailed analysis of the background of this appointment, the origins of the collaboration between the two parties, and Haidilao's ambitions in the beverage market. [more…]

As summer arrives, a touch of vivid green has become the drink of choice for many young people, and major brands have seized the trend to launch matcha products. Amid this craze, Peet's matcha latte has unexpectedly gone viral for its rich taste, and many matcha lovers call it a "weight-loss miracle," citing its ability to effectively suppress appetite. Yet real consumer feedback is polarized: some feel no hunger all day, while others find their appetite sharpened after drinking it, or even experience nausea and queasiness. Does matcha actually suppress appetite? Is drinking it at high concentrations truly healthy? This article discusses the ingredients, consumer experiences, and health risks from multiple angles to help coffee and matcha lovers view this internet-famous drink rationally. [more…]

Manner has once again launched a green-themed new product, "Iced Coconut Jasmine Matcha," combining coconut water, jasmine tea, and matcha concentrate, with a visual concept highlighting the vibrant essence of spring. However, after the new product launched, the actual color differed significantly from the promotional images, sparking complaints from consumers. Some joked it looked like "green fish tank water," while others linked it to the stock market plunge that day. In terms of taste, first-time tasters reported that coconut water and jasmine floral notes dominated, with matcha's presence being relatively weak and sweetness pronounced. Is this new product a visual flop or a taste surprise? Let's find out. [more…]

Blackpink member Lisa inadvertently showed off a cup of Heytea's Triple Thick Matcha on social media, quickly sparking global fan attention. Multiple Heytea overseas official accounts swiftly claimed it and seized the moment to launch a "Lisa Custom Edition," then further rolled out a buy-one-get-one-free matcha series promotion at stores worldwide. However, on the day of the promotion, consumers in many parts of China found that the matcha drinks were sold out early, and some even received incorrectly made beverages. Stores explained that ingredients were consumed too quickly and prep took time, but some fans were not buying it, arguing that if the brand wanted to ride a celebrity's hype, it should have prepared adequately in advance. [more…]

Matcha lattes have recently become popular again, which reminded Front Street Coffee of a unique coffee-making method we shared in the early years—whipping coffee liquid with a matcha chasen to create a dense foam. This method was created by actor Hiroshi Fujioka, inspired by his mother's tea ceremony, transplanting the whisking action used in matcha preparation onto coffee. It not only enhances the aroma and mouthfeel but also carries a distinctively Japanese character. This article will provide a complete introduction to this method: from background knowledge on matcha and the whisking method of tea preparation, to coffee bean selection, brewing parameters, chasen whisking technique, and finally an actual tasting comparison. Front Street Coffee used Blue Mountain coffee beans and a Kono dripper for the brewing demonstration, and recorded the noticeable differences in flavor before and after whisking, making it suitable for trying at home. [more…]

Matcha lattes have recently become popular again, which reminded Front Street Coffee of a rather unique coffee-making method we shared in the early years. The inspiration for this method comes from matcha preparation in Japanese tea ceremony: using a chasen to beat the coffee liquid until it produces a dense foam, thereby enhancing the aroma and mouthfeel. Its creator was not a professional barista, but the actor Hiroshi Fujioka. While traveling the world, he was inspired by coffees from various places, and after returning home, inspired by his mother's tea ceremony, he incorporated the whisking technique into coffee making. This article will give a complete introduction to this distinctive method: from matcha basics, bean selection, and brewing parameters to whisking techniques and tasting comparisons, along with Front Street Coffee's hands-on experience and suggestions, suitable for coffee lovers to try in their spare time. [more…]

Heytea has brought its popular matcha drink "Triple Thick Matcha" from China to the U.S. market, rolling out a limited-time buy-one-get-one-free promotion, but a small line of English text on the promotional poster—"only lives 3 hours"—sparked widespread discussion. The phrase, which literally means "only lives 3 hours," left many consumers puzzled: does it refer to the drink's optimal flavor window, the duration of the promotion, or the shelf life of the matcha mochi topping? Netizens each had their own interpretation, with some even questioning whether the brand's copywriting review process was inadequate. Hours after the controversy escalated, Heytea's official customer service contacted the original poster to explain, and the poster in question has since been corrected. This article provides a complete rundown of how the incident unfolded and the various viewpoints involved. [more…]

When discussing Japan's finest green tea, one inevitably comes to Uji in Kyoto—regarded as the true birthplace of Japanese green tea. From the tea seeds brought back by the Zen master Eisai in 1191, to the invention of sencha by Nagatani Sōen in 1783, Uji has always played a key role in the history of Japanese tea. What exactly does "Uji" in Uji matcha mean? Why has it become synonymous with high-quality matcha? And how are the grades of Uji matcha classified? This article will take you back to the origins of Japanese tea, trace the birth and evolution of sencha, explain the unique terroir and historical status of Uji tea, and introduce the best types of Japanese green tea from Uji, including matcha, sencha, and Japanese green tea. [more…]