Recently, a consumer in Nanjing discovered that after purchasing a drink at a Starbucks, the cup label prominently displayed a single Chinese character "骚" (meaning "flirty" or "lewd"). The store explained that the character was the staff member's membership ID within the app, which was automatically printed on the label due to the use of a coupon. The consumer questioned this, stating that they were not informed about the coupon usage when placing the order, which also involved points issues, and suspected that the staff member was pocketing the difference. The incident sparked widespread discussion online, with both sides disputing whether the name on the label came from the consumer's custom nickname or the staff member's ID, and no settlement has been reached yet. [more…]

Recently, a news story about people receiving empty packages and plain water instead of milk tea when ordering takeout for memorial purposes has sparked widespread attention. The incident originated from a 21-year-old young man nicknamed "Fat Cat" who jumped into a river to take his own life due to a romantic dispute. Netizens from various places, sympathizing with his plight, spontaneously ordered takeout to be delivered to the Chongqing Yangtze River Bridge as a tribute. However, some of the takeout bags contained only empty packaging boxes and plain water disguised as milk tea, involving well-known chain brands such as Mixue Ice Cream & Tea and ChaBaiDao. Staff at the stores involved, believing remarks that "other stores are all sending empty packages," mishandled the orders, provoking consumer anger. Lawyers pointed out that this act infringes on consumers' right to be informed and constitutes consumer fraud. The brands have apologized and made rectifications one after another, and regulatory authorities have stepped in. Front Street Coffee reminds that under any circumstances, businesses should operate in good faith and respect every order. [more…]

The espresso family is vast. Even when it's just espresso plus milk, different ratios give rise to distinctive drinks like the latte, cappuccino, and flat white. This article focuses on the smallest member of the family—the Piccolo Latte. We'll start with the origin of its name and its historical background, explaining why it's called a "small latte" and how it was originally used to test the harmony between coffee beans and milk. Then we'll compare it with a regular latte in terms of cup size, number of espresso shots, and milk foam thickness, and share the specific parameters Front Street Coffee uses in practice—such as dose, extraction time, and milk frothing volume—to help readers recreate a balanced mini latte at home. [more…]

On the eve of Halloween, Heytea launched a limited-edition special drink, the "Dark Slimming Bottle," as a new member of its Super Plant Tea series. This beverage uses freshly squeezed kale and celery as its base, blends in a variety of fruit and vegetable juices, and adds a generous amount of fresh cilantro segments, emphasizing a dark visual style. Cilantro lovers reported that the cilantro flavor was not prominent after drinking it, because the whole cilantro segments were not chopped and juiced, serving only as decoration, and it was jokingly called "cilantro bathwater." However, this new product made store employees complain endlessly — the cumbersome process of washing cilantro and trimming celery, plus the strong smell, led many workers to say outright that they "feel like throwing up just from smelling it," with complaints mounting on social platforms. [more…]

Starbucks Korea's "Call My Name" service was originally intended to bring store staff and customers closer together, but on the eve of South Korea's presidential election, some customers turned it into a stage for political jesting. According to reports from multiple foreign media outlets, because some people placed orders using the names of presidential candidates, baristas were forced to loudly call out these sensitive names in public, and the brand had to urgently introduce new rules. Starting before the election on the 3rd of next month, the names of six candidates, including Lee Jae-myung, as well as the name of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, can no longer be used as nicknames on the Starbucks app. Is this rule meant to maintain store order, or is it being overly sensitive? Let's take a look at how the incident unfolded. [more…]

In most coffee shops, customers expect polite and attentive service, but in Shibuya, Japan, there is a "scolding coffee shop" that does the opposite. This shop not only refrains from offering gentle reception, but instead has staff verbally humiliate customers, and they can even use inflatable bats to "beat" guests. Surprisingly, this seemingly outrageous service model has attracted a large number of customers to book the experience, and business is booming. The owner sees this as a win-win design: customers get emotional release, and staff can also vent work stress. However, this pop-up shop is set to close next Monday. This article will take you through the operational details of this peculiar coffee shop, customer feedback, and the business logic behind it, while also reminding coffee lovers to pay attention to product information from professional brands like Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Mandheling coffee, also known as "Sumatra coffee," is one of the most highly recognizable presences in the coffee world. Its core production areas are concentrated around Lake Toba in northern Sumatra and Lake Tawar in Aceh, hence the saying "two lakes, two Mandhelings." Front Street Mandheling, with its sweet-bitter throat-soothing richness and bold, undisguised flavor, has become the introductory first choice for countless enthusiasts; while Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling, through multiple rounds of hand sorting and machine sorting, is even better in body and cleanliness. This article will guide you through the naming origins of Mandheling, the geographical background of the Lake Toba production area, and the cultivation history of the Typica variety in the mountainous areas around Lake Toba, while also retaining an objective description of the Front Street series products, providing a reference for your coffee exploration. [more…]

Papua New Guinea coffee, descended from Typica varieties introduced from Jamaica Blue Mountain and grown in similar environments and at comparable altitudes, has earned the nickname "Little Blue Mountain" among many enthusiasts. Front Street Coffee recently acquired a batch of Bird of Paradise coffee beans from the Sigri Estate and conducted a comprehensive evaluation through roasting, cupping, and brewing. This article will guide you through Papua New Guinea's coffee cultivation model, its main producing regions, the origin of the name Bird of Paradise coffee, and the history and ecological philosophy of the Sigri Estate. We will also share in detail Front Street Coffee's roasting curves and brewing parameters, showcasing this bean's unique flavor profile of rich nutty and cocoa notes, subtle berry sweetness, and a balanced mouthfeel. [more…]

Papua New Guinea is both a familiar and unfamiliar origin for coffee lovers. Many people have heard of Front Street Papua New Guinea coffee, yet few have actually tasted it. Those who have often compare it to the flavor of "Front Street Blue Mountain Coffee Beans," which is why it has earned the nickname "Little Blue Mountain." To investigate the origin of this name, Front Street specifically acquired and listed this coffee. This article will provide a comprehensive interpretation of the unique charm of Papua New Guinea Bird of Paradise coffee beans, covering its cultivation history, industry challenges, estate background, varietal characteristics, processing methods, and Front Street's roasting and brewing recommendations. [more…]

Starbucks recently announced that it will launch the Olive Oil series in selected stores nationwide, including two olive oil coffee beverages. This series is actually Oleato, which was introduced to China a year late—a "groundbreaking" creation once strongly promoted by former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. From Dongpo pork latte to olive oil coffee, Starbucks has launched frequent new products this year but has also sparked continuous controversy. Some people have placed olive oil coffee on the "dark coffee" list, while others have been conquered by its peculiar taste, and even more consumers have become fans due to its laxative effect. This discussion about coffee innovation reflects the various dilemmas Starbucks faces in product development and localization strategies. [more…]

Robusta is often seen as exclusive to espresso blends, but how does it perform when used for pour-over? Front Street Coffee conducted a brewing experiment using dark-roasted Vietnamese Robusta beans, recording the changes from wet aroma to first sip to post-cooling. This article also examines Robusta's advantages in crema, body, and price, as well as why it struggles to enter the specialty pour-over scene. It also introduces the division of labor among different origins in Front Street's classic blend and in-store espresso recipes. If you're curious about Robusta's true flavor, why not follow along with Front Street's cupping experience and find out for yourself. [more…]

In the landscape of Brazilian specialty coffee, Fazenda Rainha is a name that cannot be overlooked. Situated in the Mogiana region of São Paulo State at elevations of 1,400 to 1,950 meters, this estate has repeatedly won accolades in the Cup of Excellence (COE) competition thanks to its hand-picked Yellow Bourbon varietal and pulped natural processing method. Its coffee beans are renowned for being clean and sweet, with bright yet well-balanced acidity, and some lots even display alluring tropical fruit aromas. This article provides a comprehensive overview of Fazenda Rainha's origin background, varietal characteristics, processing techniques, and award records, along with green bean analysis, roasting recommendations, cupping performance, and pour-over parameters, taking you deep into this quintessential representative of Brazilian specialty coffee. Front Street Coffee will also share related brewing recipes and iced coffee preparation ideas in this article. [more…]

Robusta is often regarded as an ingredient for espresso blends and instant coffee, and is quite rarely used for pour-over. In this article, Front Street Coffee conducts a pour-over experiment using deep-roasted Robusta from Vietnam, documenting the flavor changes from high temperature to cooling: at the high-temperature stage, it presents hazelnut, caramel, and grain notes, with a full body and tolerable bitterness; after the temperature drops, rubber, earthy mustiness, and a bitter finish emerge, with noticeably insufficient cleanliness. The article also explains the differences in appearance between Robusta and Arabica, their commercial value and price advantages, and explains that its higher bitterness is due to higher caffeine and chlorogenic acid content, as well as flavor defects caused by low-altitude cultivation. Finally, it mentions Robusta grown in a specialty manner, which has a clean flavor but is scarce in yield and rarely seen. [more…]

Brazil, as the world's largest coffee producer, has long been a focus of attention for enthusiasts when it comes to the cost and price of its coffee beans. This article starts with the cost structure of Brazilian coffee and then recommends a highly cost-effective specialty single-origin coffee — Front Street Brazil Queen's Farm Natural Yellow Bourbon. This estate belongs to the renowned Carvalho Dias family and has won numerous COE Cup of Excellence awards. The article provides a detailed introduction to the estate's background, cultivation and processing methods, green bean analysis, roasting curve, cupping flavors, and pour-over parameters, along with suggestions for making iced coffee. Front Street's own-roasted Brazilian coffee beans sell for only 45 yuan for a 227-gram box, with a cost of about 3 yuan per cup — combining quality and value, and suitable for everyday drinking. [more…]

On Front Street Coffee's menu, Hacienda La Esmeralda's green-label and red-label Geisha have always drawn much attention. Many friends who are just getting into specialty coffee often wonder: both are Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda, so what exactly is the difference between red label and green label? In fact, Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha series goes far beyond these two labels—there are also blue label and auction lot, among other subdivided grades. These Chinese nicknames are not official names, but rather naming conventions based on each one's background characteristics to make them easier to remember. Hacienda La Esmeralda has four growing areas, three of which mainly cultivate Geisha: Jaramillo, Cañas Verdes, and El Velo, and each area is further divided into multiple small plots to achieve precise traceability. This article will guide you through a systematic breakdown of the differences among Hacienda La Esmeralda's various label-grade Geishas, and take a deep dive into the unique flavor of Panama BOP champion coffee beans. [more…]

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow our WeChat official account: Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). Coffee enthusiasts have likely heard of the Clever Cup, a coffee brewing device. What makes the Clever Cup so "clever"? In this article, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet [more…]

Among the many pour-over drippers, the Hario Mugen dripper stands out with its unique inner wall design, and has even earned the nickname "the Clever Dripper of drippers." It shares the same lineage as the classic V60, yet takes a completely different extraction path—the V60 is known for its extreme flow rate, while the Mugen dripper goes the opposite way, using a ribless structure to create an extremely slow flow rate, keeping the coffee in a state of immersion throughout. How exactly does this design affect flavor? Why is it easier for beginners to master? This article will break down the structural principles of the Mugen cross-star dripper, its flow rate performance, and its similarities and differences with the Clever Dripper, while also offering practical dripper selection advice for those just getting started. [more…]

Geisha coffee is hailed as the crown jewel of specialty coffee, and its distinctive floral aroma and citrus acidity have captivated countless coffee lovers. This article will guide you through the origins and spread of Geisha coffee, analyze its flavor characteristics, and focus on introducing three distinctive Geisha coffee beans: Panama's Elida Estate, Sofia Estate, and Guarumo Estate. Front Street Coffee will also share brewing recommendations specifically for Panamanian Geisha, including coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature, grind size, and a three-pour technique, helping you fully showcase Geisha coffee's rich layering and delicate flavors at home. [more…]

In April of this year, Yunnan's coffee industry was overshadowed by rumors of "unsold coffee beans," which once made coffee farmers and industry insiders uneasy. But what is the truth? The main production area of Pu'er has only 3,000 to 4,000 tons of coffee beans left, including some of poor quality. Truly high-quality beans are still in short supply, and quality is the most worrying issue behind this storm. This article takes an in-depth field visit to Pu'er, sorting out the quotation trends for small-bean coffee, the ins and outs of the unsold rumor, and the real situation of intermediaries and coffee farmers amid this price fluctuation, and talks with "Coffee Madman" Liu Minghui to restore the current situation and future of Yunnan coffee. [more…]

Typica is a variety of paramount genetic importance among Arabicas, known for its outstanding quality, yet it suffers from low yields and weak disease resistance. Jamaica and Papua New Guinea are both Typica-growing countries, and their coffees are often compared; Papua New Guinea coffee is even nicknamed "Little Blue Mountain." This article examines the similarities and differences between Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee and Papua New Guinea coffee from the perspectives of varietal history, island-type growing region environments, grading standards, and flavor profiles, and introduces the flavor characteristics of related products on Front Street Coffee's bean list, helping coffee enthusiasts gain a clearer understanding of the coffee characteristics of these two origins. [more…]