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…]

Coconut Palm Group recently released an advertisement for the eighth intake of its training school for deputy general managers, drawing attention with a maximum annual salary of 480,000 yuan and generous perks such as a car and housing upon enrollment, while also replacing its previous sexy model images with a festive wedding style, sparking heated discussion among netizens. This is not the first time Coconut Palm has found itself in controversy over its advertising—over the years it has persisted in borderline marketing and has been penalized by regulators multiple times, including a 400,000 yuan fine in May this year for using state agency personnel in commercial marketing and for advertising slogans that violate public order and good morals. This article will review the details of this recruitment drive, the changes in advertising style, and Coconut Palm Group's repeated history of marketing violations. [more…]

Yunnan's coffee industry is undergoing a notable price surge and heightened market attention. Since 2021, domestic new-style tea beverage and coffee brands have been incorporating Yunnan beans into their menus, with the national trend of guochao consumption and the domestic coffee boom together driving up the popularity of the production region. Consumer demand for Yunnan coffee has surged, directly pushing up coffee bean prices. At the same time, the global pandemic has caused supply chain delays, with delivery cycles extended from one or two months to three or four months. Reduced supply coupled with rapidly rising consumption has further driven up the market. While Yunnan coffee is embracing opportunities, it also faces practical limitations such as uneven planting standards, insufficient talent and industry chain support, and a lack of pricing power. Cities like Pu'er are advancing industrial upgrading with the goals of specialty-grade quality and standardization. The coffee output value of Ning'er County is expected to continue growing, and the Yunnan coffee price index also reflects market changes. [more…]

Luckin Coffee officially announced on September 23 a collaboration with *JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean* for October, launching themed events across its nationwide stores. This is not Luckin's first crossover; previous partnerships with Coconut Palm and EDG both sparked heated discussion. Looking across the coffee and tea beverage sector, Manner's collaborations with Helena Rubinstein and LV, Heytea's tie-in with *A Dream of Splendor*, and Nayuki's partnership with *Love Between Fairy and Devil*—brand co-branding has become an important strategy for breaking fixed impressions and achieving customer base complementarity. This article reviews several recent typical cases and includes Front Street Coffee's professional communication channels for coffee enthusiasts to gain deeper insight into industry trends. [more…]

As Africa's largest coffee producer, Ethiopia's connection to coffee goes far beyond a beverage—from wedding ceremonies to traditional remedies, coffee has long been woven into the daily life of local people. This article systematically reviews Ethiopia's coffee cultivation system and the distribution of its nine major producing regions, analyzes the flavor characteristics and processing method differences of two representative specialty coffees, Yirgacheffe and Sidamo, and also introduces how the Red Cherry Project operates, the current state of coffee variety records, and the ECX grading system. The article also combines Front Street Coffee's roasting and brewing suggestions to provide coffee enthusiasts with a complete reference from understanding producing regions to actual brewing. [more…]

Ethiopia is widely recognized as the birthplace of coffee, with as many as five thousand native coffee varieties in the Kaffa forests of its south alone. As Africa's largest coffee-producing country, Ethiopia exports only sixty percent of its coffee beans, while the rest are woven into local weddings, festivals, and daily rituals. In this country, coffee is both a faith and a culture; the complete coffee ceremony—from roasting the beans and grinding them with a pestle to brewing and drinking—can last up to an hour and a half. This article will systematically sort through Ethiopia's coffee cultural background, cultivation models, the flavor characteristics of its nine major regions, the Red Cherry Project, and its variety and grading systems, and will append Front Street Coffee's roasting and brewing recommendations for Yirgacheffe and Sidamo, helping coffee lovers gain a comprehensive understanding of this specialty coffee holy land. [more…]

Coffee bugs, in the previous few issues we learned about the origin and spread of coffee, so where does the coffee we drink today come from? Next, follow Little One to explore coffee-producing regions around the world~ Currently there are 53 major coffee-producing regions globally, all distributed within the Coffee Belt 『25°N～30°S』. Based on the spread timeline of specialty coffee and the flavors of the origins, we can roughly group these regions into three major categories: Old World old-fashioned flavor category, New World improved flavor category, and Oceanic island flavor category. In this issue, Gain Knowledge will first present the Old World coffee introduction~ Countries that already had Arabica varieties before the 17th century are called the "Old World," led by Ethiopia (Ethopia), with Yemen (Yemen) and India (India) as followers. These three ancient coffee countries retain the most diverse Arabica bean gene pool and traditional natural processing method. Their coffee flavor spectrum is broad and complex, with the greatest amplitude: from rough earthy, woody, leathery, medicinal, and fermented tofu off-flavors, to charming jasmine, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, pine and fir, mint, lemon, citrus, berry, apricot, smoked plum, chocolate... thousands of aromas and flavors, both good and bad, constructing an old-fashioned flavor spectrum that makes people love and hate it at the same time. Ethiopia has the world's most diverse coffee cultivation system and a complex ancient superior gene pool, plus diverse processing methods including natural, washed, and semi-washed, presenting complex and changeable flavors. It can be said that the "flavor spectra" of coffee-producing regions around the world can mostly be tasted here, reflecting Ethiopia's all-embracing "king's flavor." The push of the third wave of specialty coffee [more…]

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, and its unique coffee ceremony and rich terroir culture are fascinating. This article begins with the traditional family coffee ceremony, taking you through the origin story of the Huakui estate coffee beans, and delves into its brand background and flavor and taste characteristics. At the same time, we will also take a look at Ethiopia's tourist scenery and festival culture, to experience the diverse charm of this ancient coffee country. The Huakui series recommended by Front Street Coffee is precisely a wonderful presentation of the flavors of this origin. [more…]

Ethiopia is renowned as the birthplace of coffee. With its high altitude and favorable climate, it produces Arabica coffee beans of outstanding quality, which has also attracted the attention of international brands such as Starbucks. From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article will review Ethiopia's coffee growing distribution, variety composition, and processing methods, revisit the trademark dispute between Starbucks and the Ethiopian government over the three origin names Sidamo, Harar, and Yirgacheffe, and introduce the taste differences between Front Street's washed and natural Yirgacheffe as well as brewing suggestions, helping coffee enthusiasts gain a more comprehensive understanding of this coffee homeland. [more…]

Ethiopia is widely recognized as the birthplace of coffee, and its coffee production and quality hold an important place globally. This article will introduce Ethiopian coffee culture, cultivation models, variety overview, processing methods, and grading systems, with a focus on analyzing the classic flavors of Yirgacheffe. Regarding the roasting and brewing of Yirgacheffe, Front Street Coffee also provides specific recommendations and parameter references to help coffee enthusiasts gain a more comprehensive understanding of this region and better showcase its delicate acidity and floral-fruity aromas in daily brewing. [more…]

Want to know which brand of Brazilian coffee beans is best? This article starts with the flavor and varieties of Front Street Brazilian coffee, systematically sorting out the characteristics, origins, and uses of the two major coffee bean species, Arabica and Robusta, and takes a deep dive into the three major conglomerates in Brazil's instant coffee market as well as the local brands favored by the people of Rio. It also recommends two Rio cafés where you can buy fresh coffee beans, along with a list of affordable brands praised by netizens, providing coffee lovers with a practical guide to buying Brazilian coffee. [more…]

Ethiopia, in eastern Africa, is not only one of the important birthplaces of human civilization but is also regarded as the homeland of coffee. The English word "coffee" is said to derive from the Ethiopian place name "Kaffa." On this plateau, coffee grows widely in its native form, and different producing regions, due to differences in altitude and ecology, present diverse flavors such as floral aromas, fruity acidity, and vinous notes. Local people have developed a unique drinking ritual around coffee, from roasting and pounding to brewing in a clay pot, the entire process is full of ceremony. In addition to coffee, Ethiopia also boasts rich landscapes such as the Rift Valley, waterfalls, rock caves, and ancient churches. This article will introduce you to the origins, flavor characteristics, and drinking customs of Ethiopian coffee, and provide practical information on visas, flights, accommodation, and currency. [more…]

Yirgacheffe is Ethiopia's most iconic specialty coffee region, and its two processing methods—natural and washed—produce strikingly different flavor profiles. In this article, Front Street Coffee will systematically outline the cultural background and cultivation overview of Ethiopian coffee, take a deep dive into comparing the cupping flavor differences between Yirgacheffe natural beans and washed beans, analyze the roasting curve recommendations corresponding to the two processing methods, and share brewing parameters and flavor descriptions to help coffee enthusiasts fully understand the charm of this classic region. [more…]

The roots of coffee lie in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia not only gave coffee its name through the place name "Kaffa," but also, with growing conditions spanning multiple climate zones, nurtured bean varieties with distinct personalities such as Harar, Yirgacheffe, and Sidamo. Here, people regard coffee as a daily ritual: gathering around the fire in the evening, roasting, pounding, and brewing on the spot—a whole process that continues to this day. At the same time, Ethiopia is also an important tourist destination in Africa, with its highland scenery, rock-hewn churches, and unique calendar together forming its charm. This article will take you through origin legends, regional flavors, drinking etiquette, and practical travel information, offering a complete introduction to this coffee nation. At the end, there are also related recommendations from Front Street Coffee for your reference. [more…]

At a time when tea beverage brands are competing to invite celebrity endorsements to gain traffic, Chagee originally planned to hold an offline event at Changsha IFS with celebrity Lin Yi in attendance, but it was temporarily called off because the number of people who showed up far exceeded expectations. This turn of events not only forced the brand to issue an emergency apology, but also triggered a chain reaction—a large number of disappointed fans turned to the rival Sexy Tea store also near Changsha IFS, unexpectedly bringing the latter a wave of orders and attention. This article will review the whole incident and analyze the reasons behind and impact of the cancellation of this event. [more…]

As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia is not only Africa's largest coffee producer, but also weaves coffee deeply into the daily life and rituals of its people. From Sidamo to Yirgacheffe, from nearly two thousand documented native varieties to the two major processing methods of washed and natural, this country has cultivated specialty coffees with distinctive character and pronounced floral and fruity aromas. The washed Yirgacheffe in Front Street Coffee's everyday beans series is a prime example of the typical flavors of the Yirgacheffe region. This article will guide you through a comprehensive understanding of Ethiopia's coffee industry, variety classification, processing method characteristics, and the flavor differences brought about by different processing methods, offering coffee enthusiasts complete origin knowledge and purchasing reference. [more…]

Ethiopia is not only the number one country in Africa for coffee production, but also the birthplace of the Arabica species, with wild coffee trees still growing in the Kaffa forests to this day. This article will systematically sort out the flavor characteristics and brewing suggestions for Ethiopian coffee: first looking at the taste differences brought by the two processing methods of natural and washed, then sorting out the grading rules from G1 to G5 and the geographical distribution of producing regions such as Sidamo, Harar, and Yirgacheffe, followed by interpreting one by one Harar's mocha character, Limu's vinous aroma, Sidamo's balanced sweetness, and Yirgacheffe's signature floral notes. At the end, Front Street's recommended V60 brewing parameters are attached to help you gain a comprehensive understanding of these beans from the birthplace of coffee. [more…]

Recently, a netizen alleged that they were asked to leave while doing makeup at a Starbucks store in Shenzhen on the day they received their marriage certificate, and the incident quickly sparked discussion. According to the netizen's account, they had called the store in advance to confirm that doing makeup was allowed as long as it did not disturb others, but after making a purchase that day, they were still discouraged by the shift manager during the makeup process and even felt insulted. The store involved responded that if the smell or powder of cosmetics affects other customers, staff will step in to remind them, that the shift manager's voice was indeed somewhat loud at the time, and that afterward the full order was refunded and two tall drink vouchers were given. The regional manager has stepped in to communicate. Netizens have differing views on this. Some believe a coffee shop is not a place for doing makeup, while others think normal touch-ups are harmless and that there may be another reason for the conflict. The incident has once again prompted reflection on the boundaries of using public space in coffee shops. [more…]

When it comes to American coffee, most people first think of mass-market commercial products, but the state of Hawaii is an exception. The Kona coffee produced here is as renowned as Jamaica Blue Mountain, and thanks to volcanic soil, a suitable climate, and meticulous management, it presents a unique flavor profile dominated by nutty notes with clean, balanced acidity. Front Street Coffee will guide you through the variety composition of the Kona growing region, its washed processing method, and the impact of this year's leaf rust disease on yield and prices. We'll also share Front Street's usual three-stage brewing parameters to help you better capture the sweetness and spice notes of this island coffee. [more…]

The history of coffee cultivation in Colombia can be traced back to the Spanish colonial period in the 16th century, and multiple theories circulate about how coffee first arrived on this land. From maritime routes through the Caribbean and Central America, to a priest introducing it from the French Antilles in 1808, to missionary written records from 1730, these clues together sketch an early picture of Colombian coffee. Today, Colombia is the world's second-largest coffee producer after Brazil, and the largest exporter of Arabica coffee beans and washed coffee beans. Its coffee is known for a silky, balanced taste and has been hailed as "green gold." Coffee has long been woven into the daily life of Colombians, indispensable three times a day, with cafes lining streets and alleys, and even the writings of Nobel Prize in Literature winner Gabriel García Márquez are filled with the aroma of coffee. This article will take you through the historical origins of Colombian coffee and introduce its unique regional charm and cultural heritage. [more…]