In June 2025, the 29th Best of Panama (BOP) awards were held in Boquete. In the Traditional Varieties category, Hacienda La Esmeralda took first place with a Laurina lot from its El Velo division, followed closely by a new face—Dark Moon Estate (Bl [more…]

In the 2026 BOP Traditional Varieties category, the champion belongs to Altieri Estate, the runner-up is Hacienda La Esmeralda, and the third place is a batch that entered with 92.38 points—it comes from Finca Santa Teresa, owned by Ezequiel [more…]

Mogiana and Bahia are two other important specialty coffee regions in Brazil. Mogiana is known for its traditional natural process, while Bahia is a pioneer of specialty coffee experiments in Brazil. This article introduces you to the characteristics of these two regions. [more…]

On the 2025 BOP Traditional Variety Group podium, standing behind Hacienda La Esmeralda and Dark Moon Estate, was Cantera Farm—92.25 points, third place. This result belongs to the Garrido family, to the then-estate manager Gis [more…]

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow our WeChat public account: Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). With the advancement of coffee specialization, SOE has gradually become popular. So what is SOE? Is SOE coffee tastier than blended coffee? Now Front Street Coffee (Fron [more…]

What are espresso beans? Espresso beans are geared toward use with espresso machines, with the goal of making delicious espresso. For the sake of consistency, beans from more than two origins are usually blended, so that every extraction can be controlled, thereby balancing the flavors of Americano and latte. There are many coffee beans on the market. [more…]

Indonesian Sumatra Mandheling coffee beans have been renowned for over half a century since the 1960s. Front Street Mandheling coffee is characterized by its unique bitterness that highlights its most distinctive sweetness, much like the bittersweet experiences of life. At Front Street, I once heard a friend use this idiom to describe the experience of drinking Front Street Mandheling coffee. [more…]

As a symbol of American culture, Starbucks rapidly went global after Howard Schultz took over, opening 17,600 stores in 61 countries. However, when Starbucks entered countries with deep cultural traditions such as China, India, and France, it frequently encountered cultural resistance and controversy. From being forced to withdraw from its Forbidden City store, to the long wait in the Indian market, to the French people's steadfast defense of traditional cafés, Starbucks, while exporting American coffee culture, has also had to face the stubborn resistance of local cultures. This article will walk you through Starbucks' path of cultural conflict and integration around the world, and explore the balance between business expansion and cultural respect. [more…]

"This coffee is too bitter—I just can't drink it." If you've ever had this thought, it may not be that you dislike coffee—it's that you haven't found the right flavor. Traditional espresso beans mostly take a rich, intense route, with bitterness and roast character as the main notes. But Front Street Strawberry Candy coffee beans take a different path: fruity espresso. Its espresso smells [more…]

The processing method of coffee has always been the key link in the refined processing of green coffee beans. With the development of market demand and the exploration of the industry, on the basis of the mainstream "three major processing methods", [more…]

When customers who don't usually drink coffee walk into Front Street's offline stores, they often ask Front Street's baristas a question: "What kind of coffee is espresso? What is its relationship with Americano, and what's the difference between them?" This is a good question. At Front Street, there are only two small blackboards serving as menus, one for pour-over coffee and the other [more…]

In everyday life, you may hear terms like SOE latte or SOE Americano—these simply mean using single-origin coffee to make an espresso base, which is then combined with milk to become a latte or with water to become an Americano. This is a way to distinguish it from traditional blended coffee, and the separate name comes from "single [more…]

At the 2025 Best of Panama awards, Hacienda La Esmeralda set a new record for the entire event with a 98-point washed Geisha, then took 97 points in the natural category and also topped the traditional variety category, completing a rare "triple crown" in BOP history. [more…]

Traders of the special processing method coffee should reduce the export of coffee with traditional processing methods. From February 6th to 10th, the 20th African Fine Coffee Conference and Exhibition was held in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia [more…]

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow: Front Street Coffee (Frontsteet Coffee) What is the correct way to drink Americano? Front Street's baristas are occasionally asked such tricky questions by some customers, and every time this happens, Front Street tells them, just taste it with your heart and it's good if you enjoy it. Actually, front [more…]

Sumatra Mandheling is the most distinctive low-acid coffee in the world of specialty coffee, and its unique wet-hulling process gives Mandheling a heavy body with earthy and spicy herbal notes. This article takes you through the mystery of Mandheling's processing. [more…]

When it comes to today's popular drinks, the latte is perhaps the most common coffee beverage and one of the milk coffees most people are familiar with. A latte is a type of espresso drink, made with espresso as its base, to which steamed, frothed milk is added and blended in a certain proportion. Based on the definition of a latte [more…]

What is the correct way to drink Americano? Front Street Coffee's baristas are occasionally asked such tricky questions by some customers, and every time this happens, Front Street tells them that as long as you savor it with care and find it tasty, that's enough. In fact, Front Street knows he is asking whether Front Street has a set of standard norms for drinking coffee, but Front Street believes that one should not be bound by conventions in [more…]

Customer: "Boss, I'll have a Dirty!" Front Street: "Coming right up!" Customer: "Make it hot!" Front Street: "..., sorry, we don't have that. Dirty isn't made hot..." In the daily life of a coffee shop, this kind of exchange is a common occurrence. Because the ingredients for making a Dirty [more…]

Many people don't chase the distinct regional flavors of pour-over coffee in their daily cup; they prefer the milky taste of coffee with milk added. To make a stable, delicious latte or Americano, choosing the right espresso beans is the first step. This article starts with the basic principles of espresso, explains the relationship between espresso, Americano, latte, and cappuccino, and lays out three general guidelines for selecting espresso and moka pot coffee beans: not sour, freshly roasted, and medium-dark roast. On this basis, drawing on several of Front Street Coffee's blends, it offers specific selection logic and recommendations for different needs—traditional Arabica, commercial blends, classic rich body, cost-first, and fruity acidity. [more…]