Iced tea is now one of the most popular beverages in the world, but its origins are far more convoluted than one might imagine. Americans drink over 2.2 billion gallons of tea each year, 80 percent of it iced. When exactly was this refreshing drink born? At the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, how did tea merchant Richard Blechynden make iced Indian black tea an instant sensation? And long before that, sweet tea was already popular in the American South, with recipes dating back to an 1839 cookbook. This article traces the complete story of iced tea, from hot tea poured over ice to a fast-food staple, and includes key tips for making delicious iced tea at home, along with Front Street Coffee's selection recommendations, so you can easily recreate a professional-grade glass of iced tea. [more…]

Molly Tea recently launched its seasonal limited-edition "Exotic Guava Series," and the two new drinks—"Jasmine Cream Guava" and "Jasmine Guava Milk Skin"—quickly attracted a large number of consumers eager to try them, thanks to the pretty pink appeal of red-fleshed guava. However, not long after they hit the shelves, feedback flooding social platforms unexpectedly converged on one focal point—too much ice. Many customers found that even when they chose "less ice," the drink shrank by more than half after the ice was scooped out; some even fished thirty-five ice cubes out of a single less-ice drink. What exactly is going on here? And what secrets lie behind the ice standards at tea beverage shops? As an observer deeply engaged in coffee and beverage culture, Front Street Coffee is also paying attention to this phenomenon. [more…]

Making a delicious glass of iced black tea at home is actually not complicated—the key is simply striking the right balance among tea leaves, water, and time. This article will introduce two ways to make iced black tea: cold brewing and hot brewing. It will go over the steps for each, the types of tea they suit, and the occasions they are best for, and compare the flavor differences between the two methods. The article uses loose-leaf tea for demonstration, but tea bags work just as well. In addition, it will recommend oolong and herbal teas suitable for cold brewing, as well as Front Street Coffee's teaware and tea selections, to help you easily make a satisfying glass of iced black tea at home. [more…]

As temperatures climbed, Tea Yanyuese officially announced on April 29 the relaunch of its lemon tea series, introducing five new products, including the classic "Orchid Glaze" and several seasonal limited editions. However, Changsha was absent from this launch because its Good Lemon brand already covers the lemon tea category, disappointing longtime fans. After the new products hit the market, complaints about "too much ice" on social platforms quickly overshadowed discussions about taste. Many consumers reported that a cup of the drink was gone after just a few sips, and that after removing the ice, the portion was less than half. The official side had explained that lemon tea cannot be made with less ice or no ice because the ice is used to suppress astringency, but consumers still felt that nearly 20 yuan bought them little more than a cup of ice. This article will provide a detailed account of the incident and the reactions from all sides. [more…]

Darjeeling black tea is famous for its unique muscatel grape flavor, but when making iced tea with it, direct cold brewing or natural cooling often fails to fully release the aroma and may even produce an oxidized taste. Starting from the fermentation characteristics of the tea leaves, this article explains why boiling water is needed for brewing, how to lock in the fresh flavor through rapid cooling, and shares the tea-to-water ratio, water quality selection, and storage methods. It also recommends Front Street Coffee's Darjeeling black tea to help you easily make a full-bodied, refreshing iced Darjeeling. [more…]

When Luckin Coffee launched its new strawberry series in collaboration with "Zootopia 2," many fans noticed that a "no ice" option had quietly appeared on the ordering interface. You see, Luckin has long been criticized for serving "half a cup of ice," with consumers even adding notes like "want XX ice cubes" just to get less ice. Now that the company has finally offered an option, it has raised a new question: will the ingredients be topped up after removing the ice? An employee revealed that what gets added depends on the main ingredient—milk for lattes, tea for fruit and vegetable teas, while the main ingredient of strawberry iced tea is water, so it naturally tastes bland after the ice is removed. In addition, during peak hours, some staff still miss the labels and mistakenly add ice, so consumers are advised to give timely feedback and ask for a remake. Front Street Coffee is also paying attention to how this change affects the drinking experience. [more…]

Ceylon black tea is renowned worldwide for its unique flavor and quality, but the market is full of mixed offerings, and how to identify authentic Ceylon tea has become a concern for many tea lovers. This article will guide you through the recommended ways to brew iced tea with different types of Ceylon tea, teach you how to identify authentic Ceylon tea through the Lion Logo and trademark slogan, and share practical tips on how to brew Ceylon black tea without bitterness. At the same time, we will also recommend trustworthy purchasing channels, including Sri Lankan origin-direct teas selected by Front Street Coffee, allowing you to easily enjoy fresh and authentic Ceylon black tea. [more…]

Entering mid-December, temperatures across the country continue to drop, yet demand for iced drinks remains strong, and the ice machines in tea beverage shops still need to operate as usual in the severe cold of the north. Recently, an early-shift employee at Chagee arrived at the store and found the ice cube tray covered with foreign matter resembling a "spider web." Only upon closer inspection did they realize it was ice that had frozen into a thick layer overnight, preventing the machine from properly releasing the ice. This situation not only caught the staff off guard but also sparked discussions among peers about winter ice machine parameter adjustments, troubleshooting, and equipment quality. Front Street Coffee has noticed that similar problems are not uncommon in chain tea beverage stores, and how to respond scientifically has become a topic of concern for industry practitioners. [more…]

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…]

The combination of jasmine and coffee has recently been appearing frequently on the new product lists of major brands. When elegant floral notes meet rich coffee, can they really create a satisfying flavor? This time, Front Street Coffee decided to take matters into its own hands, breaking down three feasible production paths one by one, from coffee bean selection to jasmine tea preparation—directly buying bottled jasmine tea, quickly steeping dried flowers in hot water, and cold brew tea bag immersion. The article not only provides specific ratios and operating steps, but also offers pairing suggestions for coffee beans of different roast levels, along with practical tips to avoid diluting the base, helping you easily recreate a cup of jasmine iced americano with balanced floral notes and coffee at home. [more…]

In the height of summer, wampee, a niche southern fruit, has become a popular partner for homemade iced coffee thanks to its sweet-and-sour juiciness and uniquely fresh aroma. Through repeated testing, Front Street Coffee has put together three distinctly different wampee iced americano recipes: the original wampee sparkling americano uses sparkling water to amplify the fruit aroma and add a more refreshing layer; the jasmine tea wampee americano blends homemade jam with a cold-brewed tea base for a soft fragrance; and the wampee preserved plum iced shaker americano targets those who dislike sweetness, using preserved plum water and a shaker to create a sugar-free version. All three recipes use Front Street Sunflower Warm Sun espresso blend, extracting 40g of coffee liquid from 20g of grounds in 31 seconds. Below, we break down the ingredients, steps, and production details one by one to help you find the cup that best suits your taste. [more…]

Heytea has opened its first global handmade tea shop in Nantou Ancient Town, Shenzhen. The three-story space corresponds to three product lines: hand-stirred ice, handmade tea, and hand-brewed fine tea, launching over 50 new products at once. From Musang King durian to mangosteen, Thai golden pomelo, and guava, to traditional brewed pure teas covering China's six major tea categories and creative mixed cups, this shop is clearly not satisfied with the conventional tea beverage playbook. The most expensive single item, "Large Musang King Durian," is priced at 138 yuan, and the cups have also been custom-designed. The new-style tea beverage brand is returning to deep cultivation of original leaf tea, driven by the continuously expanding tea beverage track and the rising proportion of pure tea. This article takes you through a complete understanding of the product structure, pricing strategy, and industry significance of this new launch. [more…]

When dry ice is dropped into black tea, white mist billows and bubbles surge, and a cup of smoking creative coffee is born. This presentation style, which appeals to both sight and smell, is sparking a new wave in the coffee world. From Hong Kong champion barista's Amber Coffee Brewery, to the extraction technique of freezing coffee beans before grinding, to the unconventional trick of using dry ice instead of ice cubes during pour-over, the applications of dry ice in coffee are far more diverse than one might imagine. This article walks you through the principles and flavor logic behind these creative operations, and shows how baristas use modern technology to give a cup of coffee a richer layered expression. [more…]

Recently, a video about a 17-yuan milk tea from "Grandpa Doesn't Make Tea" that was unopened yet only half full sparked heated discussion online. A consumer in Guangdong reported that the First Love Rose Green Grape Fruit Tea they purchased had an opaque upper half on the cup, making it hard to judge the capacity from the outside; only after flipping it over did they discover the drink was only half full. Around issues such as whether no-ice drinks should by default not fill the cup and whether store serving standards are uniform, netizens clearly held divergent views. At the same time, multiple consumers posted weighing results and flashlight inspection results, pointing out that insufficient portions of this brand's drinks are not an isolated case. The brand and stores have responded, saying they are verifying and handling the matter. [more…]

Recently, a kind of cold boiled water different from the traditional sense has quietly become popular on social platforms—it comes from the hands of milk tea or coffee shop employees, is processed through a filtration system, is not boiled, and is poured into a transparent PE cup filled with ice cubes and sealed. Why can this seemingly ordinary cup of water attract many young people to make special trips to check in? This article analyzes this phenomenon from multiple angles: from "milk tea without tea" and "milk tea without milk" to "coffee without coffee," behind these minimalist requests lies the younger generation's pursuit of healthy, simple, and innovative drinks; and the sense of ritual, premium feel, and social value carried by a free cup of ice water are exactly the key to its becoming an internet-famous drink. At the same time, the article also retains professional information related to Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Cold brew tea has become increasingly popular in recent years. Not only does it release less caffeine, making it suitable for people sensitive to caffeine, but cold water steeping also reduces the extraction of tannic acid, giving the tea a sweeter, smoother taste without bitterness. However, the cold brewing time varies greatly depending on the form of the tea leaves—broken pieces, strips, and ball-shaped leaves each have their own requirements. Steeping too long can lead to over-extraction and a cloudy, bitter brew. This article provides a detailed guide to the suitable tea types for cold brewing, a time reference chart, the relationship between water temperature and steeping duration, and answers to common questions such as whether overnight tea is safe to drink, helping you easily make a delicious glass of cold brew iced black tea. [more…]

Want to know the latest Starbucks menu prices? This article compiles the 2023 prices for Starbucks' espresso series, Frappuccino series, iced shaken tea series, and cold brew iced coffee series, including lattes, cappuccinos, Americanos, caramel macchiatos, flat whites, various Frappuccinos, iced shaken teas, and cold brew coffee. It also includes a list of the top ten best-tasting Starbucks drinks for coffee lovers' reference. Whether you're looking for the best value or want to try new flavors, this price list can help you make a quick decision. Follow Coffee Workshop and Front Street Coffee for more professional coffee knowledge and specialty coffee bean information. [more…]

Recently, a customer posted a video on social media claiming they found a piece of white plastic foreign object in a drink purchased from Mixue Ice Cream & Tea. Unexpectedly, the comment section did not fill with criticism of the merchant. Instead, many Mixue employees left comments pleading with the customer to return this part, which they jokingly called a "veteran employee." It turns out this piece of plastic was the star tip nozzle accessory for the ice cream machine's dispenser outlet. Once lost, it not only affects the shape of the product but also means the staff member may have to pay compensation. Behind this incident lies not only the detailed challenges of equipment management in food service stores but also consumers' ongoing concern about food safety. [more…]

The Starbucks menu offers a rich selection, from classic coffees to teas and Frappuccinos, each with its own distinct flavor. Faced with such a dazzling array of options, many people struggle to decide which one is actually worth trying and how to order something that suits their taste. This article compiles the top ten most popular Starbucks drinks, covering coffee categories such as the Coffee of the Week, Americano, Latte, Mocha, and Caramel Macchiato, as well as tea drinks like Iced Shaken Lemon Tea, Black Tea Latte, and Matcha Latte, plus Frappuccinos such as Matcha Frappuccino and Caramel Mocha Coco Chip. Each drink comes with flavor characteristics and practical ordering suggestions to help you avoid pitfalls and get a cup you are more satisfied with. For more specialty coffee beans, follow Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: qjcoffeex. [more…]

Walking into Starbucks but hesitating over the menu? This article rounds up the five most popular drinks among customers right now, including the Oat Latte, Iced Americano, Cold Brew, plus the caffeine-free Matcha Frappuccino and Iced Shaken Berry Hibiscus Tea, explaining each one's features and who it's best suited for. It also includes the 2023 price list for Starbucks' four major series—Handcrafted Espresso, Frappuccino, Teavana, and Cold Brew—covering full pricing from Tall to Grande and Venti, so you can quickly decide based on your budget and taste. Whether you're lactose intolerant, cutting sugar to lose weight, or simply want to try something different, you'll find your next cup here. [more…]