When you pick up a cup of hot coffee, do you casually blow on it to cool it, sip it with a coffee spoon, or alternate between a pastry in one hand and coffee in the other? These seemingly natural actions may be stepping right into the no-go zones of coffee etiquette. This article starts with details such as holding the cup, adding sugar, stirring, blowing to cool, and eating pastries, to sort out a proper way to enjoy coffee, and also discusses how to accommodate coffee lovers' habits when hosting guests at home or being a guest. The second half turns its gaze to flavor itself: from the bitterness of the first sip, to repeatedly searching for that cup of coffee that intoxicates you, and then to customizing a personal coffee step by step in a coffee shop, including options such as hot or iced, decaf, ESPRESSO dose, syrup, milk type, and personalized requests, with recommendations from Front Street Coffee attached. [more…]

While watching the World Cup in Qatar, fans not only felt the passion of the matches but were also deeply moved by the locals' tradition of warm hospitality. After every match, Qataris would offer fans traditional snacks, dates, and coffee, showcasing the Gulf region's hospitality culture of "keeping the pot on the fire." This article takes you through the preparation methods of traditional Qatari coffee, the drinking etiquette, and the historical evolution of Arabic coffee from "Qishr" to "Gahwa." From the etiquette of holding the pot in the left hand and passing the cup with the right, to the use of spices such as saffron and cardamom, and to the origin of the word "coffee" from Arabic, it presents a comprehensive picture of the story behind this beverage that carries folk heritage. [more…]

Can a café make people want to come back again and again based solely on great coffee? In conversations with friends and customers in the shop, the writer found that what truly brings customers back are often the easily overlooked soft experiences—a greeting at the door, recommendations based on taste rather than price, no pressure to “appreciate” the coffee, and the just-right sense of distance between barista and guest. Several interviewees candidly shared their positive and negative experiences, including product information related to the Front Street Coffee brand. These genuine reflections may offer café owners valuable reference. [more…]

Faced with a dazzling array of coffee beans, how do you choose the one that suits your taste? Front Street Coffee often recommends coffee beans to guests based on two main directions: acidity and body: the representative known for acidity is Yirgacheffe, while the representative known for body is Indonesia Sumatra Mandheling. This article will introduce the flavor performance of these two styles of coffee beans respectively, covering specific beans such as Yirgacheffe Gutingting, Kenya Little Tomato, Brazil Queen Estate, and PWN Golden Mandheling, and will also include Front Street Coffee's roasting suggestions and brewing parameters to help coffee lovers choose and taste with more direction. [more…]

The taste of a cup of coffee—acidity and bitterness are only the beginning; aroma, sweetness, body, mouthfeel, and finish are what complete the picture. When choosing beans, first lock in your preference for floral and fruity notes, nutty and cocoa notes, or balance, then match that to the origin, processing method, and roast level. Steam pressure is the core of how a moka pot works, so there is no need to tamp the grounds; [more…]

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, and the local coffee ceremony is far richer than just a cup of drink. Based on a three-week firsthand experience, this article provides a complete breakdown of the coffee ceremony process: laying out fresh green grass, washing raw beans, roasting over charcoal, crushing in an iron mortar, boiling in a clay pot, and then the three-round coffee drinking order of "Abol," "Tona," and "Baraka," along with the accompanying snacks. The article also describes the unique atmosphere created by myrrh incense, and why locals insist on hand-crushing rather than using a machine grinder. Whether you are a coffee enthusiast or a cultural explorer, you can feel the devotion and ease of this ancient ritual, and learn about Front Street Coffee's recommendations for Ethiopian coffee. [more…]

With the rise of the specialty coffee trend, coffee culture has been continuously spreading, and sales of both coffee equipment and coffee beans are constantly increasing. As a store focused on specialty coffee, Front Street not only brews a delicious cup of coffee for every guest, but also aims to spread coffee culture. If everyone [more…]

A traveler from Zhengzhou on a business trip to Chengdu drank the complimentary instant coffee provided in his room after checking into a local Holiday Inn, and subsequently suffered gastrointestinal discomfort. Upon inspecting the packaging, the coffee was produced in March 2022 with a 24-month shelf life, meaning it was nearly half a year past its expiration date when the guest drank it. After the customer reported the matter to the hotel, the hotel offered to refund the room fee and provide 2,000 yuan in compensation, but stressed that the payment was a "reward for discovering the problem" rather than compensation, which the customer did not accept. At present, the Chengdu market regulatory authorities have intervened in the investigation, and the matter is still being handled. This case has also sounded an alarm for food safety management in guest rooms across the hotel industry. [more…]

In the architectural complex of Beijing's Xishiku Church, there is a gray three-story annex built in 1901, once a residence for senior clergy and now transformed into a rather old yet youthful café—1901Cafe. It preserves the architectural charm of a blend of Chinese and Western styles while incorporating the comfortable atmosphere of a modern café. This article takes you into this historic building, exploring its past and present, touring the layout of the second and third floors, and reviewing menu items such as cheese, rose tea, and poutine fries. If you also enjoy having a cup of coffee in old times, you might want to add this place to your next stop. [more…]

Caffè Corretto is a traditional Italian drink that is extremely common in Italy itself but rarely seen outside the country. Its unique feature is that freshly brewed espresso is served alongside a small glass of liquor, allowing guests to blend it to their own preference. Behind this drinking method lies the historical origin of the coffee price surge in 1930s Italy, and different regions also have their own particularities in the choice of liquor and the timing of consumption. This article begins with Front Street's discovery while revisiting James Hoffmann's book, sorting out the origin of the name Caffè Corretto, its historical background, the drinking habits of various regions in northern and southern Italy, and also includes Front Street's low-budget recreation experience, to introduce you to this obscure yet authentic Italian specialty coffee. [more…]

As the world's largest coffee producer, Brazil is known as the "Coffee Kingdom." Locals treat guests to small cups of strong black coffee called "cafezinho," much like the Chinese serve tea. Among the many Brazilian coffee varieties, Catuai, along with Caturra, Mundo Novo, and Bourbon, is considered one of the four mainstays. This article will introduce in detail the origins of Catuai, its plant characteristics, elevation requirements for cultivation, disease resistance, and flavor profile, while also guiding you through the proper way to enjoy Brazilian black coffee. Front Street Coffee is always dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge, and holds three low-discount events each month so more people can enjoy good coffee at affordable prices. [more…]

The ICAC, which frequently appears in Hong Kong film and television works, has left a deep impression on countless people with the line "ICAC invites you for coffee." Now, this mysterious agency is really going to open a coffee shop. The ICAC has announced that it will open a coffee shop called "1974" on the ground floor of its North Point headquarters, named after the year of its establishment, with official service beginning on November 15. Previously, the agency joined Xiaohongshu and released a short film titled "Coffee Years" starring Cally Kwong, drawing on the retro filming style of "In the Mood for Love," which sparked widespread discussion among film fans nationwide. On the coffee shop's menu, there are no common lattes or Americanos. Instead, the drinks are named "Transparency," "Sense of Mission," "Courage," "Fairness," "Integrity," and so on, full of ICAC characteristics. At that time, citizens will not only be able to taste ICAC coffee but also learn about the ICAC's work up close. [more…]

Drip bag coffee has won the favor of many coffee lovers in a fast-paced life thanks to its convenience and efficiency. But there are also many questions surrounding it: Which country actually invented drip bag coffee? How much water should be used for a 10-gram packet of grounds? Can it be brewed repeatedly? This article will start with the historical origins of drip bag coffee, sort out its essential differences from instant coffee, explain why multiple brews are not recommended, and share practical methods for choosing fresh drip bag coffee. At the same time, Front Street Coffee combines the flavor performance of different producing regions, processing methods, and roast levels to provide a complete drip bag brewing process, including warming the cup, water temperature control, hanging the bag, pre-wetting, and pouring, to help you consistently brew a cup of full-aroma black coffee. [more…]

Must you drink alcohol when toasting at a wedding? More and more couples born in the 1990s and 2000s are giving a different answer: replacing baijiu with milk tea. From a Shanghai couple's wedding banquet featuring golden-cup milk tea to the heated discussion of 320,000 posts on social media, this new trend of substituting tea for alcohol is quietly changing the drinking culture at traditional wedding banquets. Why are young people drawn to this approach? And do their elders accept it? This article takes you through this wedding banquet revolution led by new-style tea drinks, and shows how young people are redefining the wedding toast ritual in their own way. [more…]

Americano is made by combining espresso with water, with water making up the vast majority of the drink, so the quality, amount, and temperature of the water all profoundly affect the final flavor. Drawing on Front Street's practical experience, this article explains in detail how water hardness affects the taste when making an Americano, the recommended ratio of espresso to water, and the suitable water temperature range for hot Americanos in different drinking scenarios. It also discusses how medium-to-dark roast espresso blend beans perform when used to make black coffee, helping coffee lovers achieve a fuller, clearer-flavored Americano in their daily brewing. [more…]

When coffee first arrived in Europe, it was called "Arab wine" and even condemned by conservative Catholics as "the drink of the devil Satan," yet it was precisely from the Arab world that Europeans inherited a precious beverage heritage. As the earliest region in the world to cultivate and drink coffee, Arabia's coffee culture is as ancient and profound as its history. Whether in coffee quality, drinking methods, or the ambiance and atmosphere of consumption, it still carries on a long-standing tradition and refinement. This article begins with the historical origins and hospitality etiquette of Arabian coffee, guiding you through rituals that resemble the Japanese tea ceremony—such as burning incense, appreciating vessels, and savoring aromas—and introduces the recipe and key preparation points for Café Arabe, an Arabian coffee with a modern twist. [more…]

Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha coffee has long been the benchmark of the specialty coffee world, yet many enthusiasts find themselves confused when faced with the three grades: Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label. How exactly are these three grades divided? What are the specific flavor differences between them? This article, from the perspective of Front Street Coffee, systematically sorts through the history of Hacienda La Esmeralda, the terroir conditions of the Boquete production region, the definitions and cupping performance of the three major Geisha brands, and includes Front Street's recommended roasting curves and brewing parameters for Geisha at each grade. Whether you are encountering Geisha for the first time or hoping to gain a deeper understanding of Hacienda La Esmeralda's grading system, this article offers a complete and clear reference. [more…]

Another shutdown message has come from the tea beverage sector. Xiexie Tea, invested by well-known host Ma Dong, has closed its last national outlet, the Shenzhen Dalang store, on July 16, completely wiping out its physical stores. This celebrity brand, founded in 2018, once rode on the hype of traffic-driving guests like Ma Dong and the New Pants band, selling a cup of milk tea for nearly 70 yuan, but after the pandemic, its prices slid all the way down to the 12-yuan range, all bakery products were removed, and its pivot to smart milk tea stores showed no improvement. Its official Weibo, WeChat public account, and mini-program have successively stopped updating or been discontinued. The traffic dividends and operational shortcomings of celebrity catering have once again become a focal point of attention in the coffee and tea beverage industry. [more…]

Coffee blending is not simply mixing different beans together, but a craft that emphasizes complementarity and balance. Drawing on the practical experience of Front Street Coffee, this article systematically sorts out the two basic forms of blended beans—raw blending and roasted blending—analyzes the core purpose of blending, and, through the examples of Front Street's four Italian-style blended beans, explains how to use the characteristics of coffee beans from different origins and different varieties to achieve the ideal flavor. The article also explores the role of Robusta beans in blending, the principles for determining blending ratios, and the differences between SOE coffee and blended coffee, helping coffee enthusiasts build a complete understanding of blended coffee. [more…]

Fancy coffee is a leisure drink beloved by many, but its preparation process is not complicated. This article breaks down, step by step, the practical methods for making fancy coffee at home—from grinding coffee beans, brewing coffee, frothing milk, to pouring latte art and blending—and reminds you of easily overlooked details such as grinding temperature and the best time to drink it. It also recommends Front Street Blue Mountain coffee, which is suitable for making fancy coffee, as well as practical equipment such as hand-cranked coffee grinders, electric coffee grinders, French presses, siphon pots, milk frothing pitchers, and coffee cups, helping coffee lovers easily enjoy the pleasure of homemade fancy coffee. [more…]