C'estbon's parent company, China Resources Beverage, has officially launched its Hong Kong IPO subscription process, planning to offer 347.8 million shares globally, with an offer price range of HK$13.50 to HK$14.50 per share, raising up to approximately HK$5.04 billion, and is expected to list on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on October 23. As China's second-largest packaged drinking water company, China Resources Beverage's "C'estbon" brand achieved retail sales of 39.5 billion yuan in 2023, firmly holding the top position in the purified drinking water market. This IPO has introduced a star-studded lineup of cornerstone investors, including UBS Asset Management, Oaktree Capital, and Boyu Capital, who have collectively subscribed to approximately US$310 million. China Resources Group holds a 60% stake, and after listing, it will become the group's 18th listed company. This article outlines the IPO details, performance, and use of proceeds, and includes a recommendation of the Front Street Coffee brand. [more…]

Heytea recently switched to new transparent plastic cups for cold drinks, adding a silver-gray decorative coating to the top of the cup and changing its brand logo to silver-gray as well. This design change has sparked discussions from multiple sides: some customers mistakenly thought the milk cap had gone moldy, milk cap lovers worried they could no longer judge the amount of milk cap by appearance, and some netizens felt the silver coating easily reminded people of something inedible or spoiled. Meanwhile, Heytea employees also reported that the fill lines and milk cap lines on the new cups were hard to recognize because they were obscured by the coating, making it more difficult to judge product standards when manually adding milk cap. Although the new cups look more layered and premium in photos, the misunderstandings and inconvenience in actual use have come along with them. This article is compiled from Coffee Workshop, and Front Street Coffee presents the full picture of the incident for you. [more…]

Drip bag coffee, with its convenience of being ready to brew and drink instantly and its natural taste superior to instant coffee, is becoming the daily choice of more and more coffee lovers. To preserve the freshness of ground coffee, many brands adopt fresh-roasting and immediate packaging, high-purity nitrogen preservation, and fully automatic packaging processes, so that the aroma bursts forth the moment the bag is opened. Faced with a dazzling array of products on the market, beginners often do not know where to start. This article sorts out the core characteristics of drip bag coffee and selects four Front Street Coffee drip bag coffees, explaining each one from roast level to flavor, to help beginners follow the clues. At the end of the article, detailed drip bag brewing steps are also included, so you can easily brew black coffee close to cafe quality at home. [more…]

Water makes up 60 to 70 percent of the human body, and adults need to drink 3 to 5 liters of water per day, so drinking water safety is directly related to everyone's health. As consumer demand for packaged drinking water continues to grow, the actual quality of products labeled "purified" or "mineral" on the market has become a focus of public attention. Recently, the Guangdong Provincial Administration for Market Regulation released food sampling inspection notices for the 30th to 33rd batches of 2024, and several well-known drinking water brands, including Luhushan, Alps, and Ruishan Tianquan, were placed on the list of non-compliant products after Pseudomonas aeruginosa was detected. This opportunistic pathogen poses a relatively high health risk to people with weakened immune systems. How did the companies involved respond? What purchasing advice did regulators provide? This article will sort out the details for you. [more…]

The floral, citrus, and berry notes of Yirgacheffe often only come through clearly and with layering when the beans enter the dripper at the right time. Brew too soon after roasting, and the cup may show sharp notes and unstable acidity; leave them too long, and the aroma gradually narrows. When choosing, besides looking at the origin and flavor description, also check the roast date, [more…]

In recent years, as environmental awareness has risen, label-free bottled beverages have moved from once being considered "alternative" to becoming legalized. Brands such as Nestlé Japan Coffee, Asahi, Suntory, and Evian have successively tested the waters, and domestically, Master Kong has also launched label-free iced tea. Such products are mostly sold by the case, with only the shelf life and product name laser-printed on the bottle, while legal information is printed on the outer box. About 60% of Japanese consumers are willing to pay for them, mainly because it reduces PVC waste and the hassle of sorting. Domestic reactions are mixed: supporters believe it responds to carbon reduction, while those concerned see it as a promotional gimmick. This article sorts out the origins and development of this packaging change and explores whether it can be implemented over the long term. For friends who love drinking coffee, Front Street Coffee also continuously pays attention to such environmental trends. [more…]

Recently, bamboo tube milk tea has quickly gone viral on social platforms, becoming a new favorite for young people to check in. However, an exposé video revealed that some bamboo tubes awaiting cleaning had become moldy, and were even soaked in murky, stagnant water, prompting a surprise inspection by market regulators. Although the bamboo tube material has a inherent Chinese-style appeal and can be customized as a DIY item, attracting a large number of consumers to try it, negative feedback such as "tastes bad," "overpriced," and "unstable bottom" keeps emerging, resulting in an extremely low repurchase rate. Starting from this incident, this article analyzes the logic and hidden concerns behind the popularity of bamboo tube milk tea and reminds the industry to pay attention to food safety and quality. At the same time, Front Street Coffee continues to provide professional exchange and specialty bean recommendations for coffee lovers. [more…]

Recently, 1 Dian Dian partnered with Italian mineral water brand San Pellegrino to launch two limited-edition new products, "Grape Sparkling Tea" and "Double Yuzu Sparkling Tea," sold as combo sets. Consumers could receive a store-made sparkling tea, a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water, and limited-edition packaging all at once. However, after the new products launched, many consumers discovered that the complimentary San Pellegrino sparkling water included with their order had already been opened, with only a small amount of liquid remaining in the bottle, sparking concerns about beverage hygiene and delivery safety. Some delivery users also reported not receiving the sparkling water or the limited-edition packaging, which did not match the official promotion. In response, some netizens explained that the complimentary sparkling water was actually leftover material from making the sparkling tea, a routine practice in tea shops. But some consumers still believed that after opening, the carbon dioxide in the sparkling water easily escapes during delivery, greatly diminishing the taste, and suggested that the brand directly provide unopened products so customers can mix it themselves. This article will delve into the ins and outs of this incident and the various viewpoints of all parties. [more…]

When water is added to Americano black coffee, the concentration of the coffee liquid decreases, and the aroma and aftertaste become easier to identify, so the freshness of the beans is very important. Freshly roasted coffee does not immediately present its full flavor; drinking it too early may have an obvious gassy sensation, while leaving it too long will cause it to lose its vitality. When selecting beans, the roast date and your own [more…]

The charm of floral-style coffee often isn't limited to that first sip. When freshly ground, it may show notes of fresh-cut flowers, citrus peel, or berries; once brewed, it shifts into tea-like aromas, fruity sweetness, and a light acidity. To taste these details, when choosing beans, besides looking at the flavor description, you should also pay attention to the roast date, the condition of the packaging, and how you plan to [more…]

If you want to make pour-over coffee less sharply acidic, when choosing beans you should not only look at the flavor description but also pay attention to the roast date. When beans are just out of the roaster, more carbon dioxide remains inside them; when hot water touches them, they tend to expand, scatter, and produce unstable flavors. After resting for a period, the sweetness, nutty aroma, and cocoa notes usually become easier to [more…]

The aroma of coffee beans is not completely set the moment roasting ends. In the days after coming out of the roaster, the beans continue to slowly release carbon dioxide, and the floral, fruity, and sweet notes need a little time to recombine. The so-called peak-flavor window is more like a period when the flavor is relatively active, not a hard expiration date printed on the package. Once you understand this change, [more…]

Choosing coffee beans suitable for cold brew is something you gradually learn to judge through tasting experience. When buying beans day to day, you need to consider how quickly you'll drink them, how much to buy at once, and whether you mainly make black coffee or milk-based coffee at home. The flavor notes on the packaging can offer clues, but they can't replace the actual drinking experience—whether the acidity is mellow, whether the sweetness lingers, and the mouthfeel [more…]

Coffee brewed in a moka pot is strong and aromatic, and the condition of the beans directly affects how it tastes. To keep the cup from being too sharply acidic, consider the purchase date, roast date, and how quickly you drink them after opening. Fresh doesn't mean drinking them right after roasting; the beans need a period of degassing for the flavors [more…]

Americanos made with a moka pot have a fairly concentrated coffee character while also amplifying the beans' sweet aroma, nutty notes, and cocoa tones. When choosing beans, besides checking the origin and flavor description, you should also pay attention to the roast date, the condition of the packaging, and how quickly you'll drink them. The stage the beans are at often determines whether a pot of coffee has a fresh aroma [more…]

A Yirgacheffe with soft acidity is suitable for gradually building judgment from taste experience. When buying beans for daily use, you need to consider how quickly you drink them, how much to buy at once, and whether you mainly make black coffee or milk coffee at home. The flavor words on the packaging can provide clues, but they cannot replace the actual drinking experience—whether the acidity is soft, whether the sweetness persists, and the mouthfeel [more…]

Recently, many consumers have noticed that cold drinks at %Arabica stores are now served in kraft paper cups instead of the plastic takeaway cups used previously. According to reports, this change has been gradually implemented since last year, with stores switching to paper cups uniformly after depleting their plastic cup inventory. What was originally thought to be a temporary measure taken only in response to Hong Kong's plastic ban now appears to have expanded to more regions. However, the use of paper cups for cold drinks has raised widespread concerns among customers, including condensation on the cup walls, the cup becoming soft, the papery taste affecting the flavor, and the impact on the visual appeal for photos. At the same time, store staff are also facing challenges with efficiency in serving drinks. How to balance environmental principles with the consumer experience has become the core controversy of this packaging overhaul. [more…]

To understand high-value Yirgacheffe coffee beans, you need to translate flavor descriptions into what you can actually taste. For everyday bean buying, consider how quickly you'll drink them, how much to buy at once, and whether you mainly make black coffee or milk coffee at home. Floral, fruity acidity, nutty, and cocoa notes aren't a hierarchy—they're different directions, and the one that suits you is the right category. [more…]

The aroma of coffee beans does not decline in a straight line from the moment roasting ends. Fresh out of the roaster, the beans are rich in carbon dioxide; when ground, they smell lively, but during brewing the degassing may be too vigorous, making it hard for water to penetrate the coffee bed evenly. After a few days, as the gas gradually escapes, the floral notes, fruity sweetness, and finish actually unfold more easily. Therefore, roasting [more…]

Drip bag coffee combines the rich flavor of pour-over with the convenience of instant coffee, and in recent years it has become the daily first choice for many coffee lovers. But the seemingly simple drip bag, from bean selection, grinding, and packaging to the final brewing, has every step that can directly affect the performance in the cup. This article starts from the production process of Front Street drip bag coffee, explains in detail key details such as grinder cleaning and nitrogen preservation, and separately introduces the flavor characteristics of two seasonal drip bags: Brazil semi-washed red fruit and Ethiopia natural Sidamo Huakui. It then moves into the hands-on section, using a 10-gram Front Street drip bag as an example, and gives specific recommendations on water temperature, blooming time, pouring technique, and cup selection, helping you easily brew a cup of drip bag coffee with complete flavor at home. [more…]