The cross-industry fusion of coffee and alcohol is becoming a new industry trend. 7-Eleven's specialty coffee brand CITY PRIMA has partnered for the first time with the renowned French cognac house Hennessy to launch the "Specialty Tipsy Latte Combo," pairing specialty Ethiopian beans with a mini bottle of Hennessy V.S.O.P, allowing consumers to mix their own专属 liquor-infused flavor. This is not 7-Eleven's first foray into the alcohol-coffee arena; previously, its Beijing stores had already tested a self-service cocktail area. From chain brands to independent cafes, the "daytime coffee, nighttime alcohol" model is sweeping across the entire coffee market, and beverage brands are also increasingly moving toward coffee. This article will guide you through the specifics of this collaboration, the product background, and the new trends sparked by the collision of coffee and alcohol. [more…]

When fine liquor meets coffee, this pairing is hardly a novelty anymore. From the classic Irish coffee to the espresso martini, the combination of coffee and alcohol keeps evolving. Today, as the younger generation seeks the pleasure of a gentle buzz, liquor-infused coffee has quietly become a signature offering in cafés. This article walks you through the history of liquor-infused coffee, the challenges of making it, techniques for balancing flavors, and why it draws so many customers even during the daytime. At the same time, we'll also mention Front Street Coffee's commitment to specialty beans, providing a more professional coffee foundation for your tipsy experience. [more…]

Cotti Coffee announced on February 28 a co-branding partnership with the hit mobile game Honor of Kings, launching the Peach Drunk series of drinks and limited-edition merchandise inspired by the classic images of three highly popular characters: Gongsun Li, Yang Yuhuan, and Wu Zetian. The news immediately drew attention. Although the official launch date has not yet been announced, store materials and netizen photos have already leaked in advance, and store staff revealed that the new products will officially launch on March 6. This is not Cotti's first time using co-branding to build hype. From sponsoring the Argentina team at the World Cup to partnering with the streetwear brand SMILEY, this brand, established only four months ago, is seizing the market through a path of "rapid store expansion + ultra-low prices + marketing," and has proclaimed a goal of 10,000 stores by 2025. However, data from Zhaomen Canyan shows that it actually covers only 81 cities with 232 stores, a gap from the advertised "a hundred cities, a thousand stores." Whether Cotti, which is repeating Luckin's old path, can succeed still remains to be seen. [more…]

When coffee meets Chinese baijiu, what kind of sparks will fly? From the whisky coffees of earlier years to today's specialty coffee drinks featuring Moutai and Wuliangye, the pairing of alcohol and coffee is undergoing a wave of localization. Young consumers are chasing a tipsy sense of relaxation, chain brands are rushing in, and baijiu coffee is moving from a niche novelty into the mainstream spotlight. Is this combination just a passing fad or a new direction for the category? This article walks you through the evolution of alcohol-coffee drinks, analyzes the consumer logic and boundaries of innovation behind new Chinese-style coffee, and explores how the "coffee + xx" model can return to the essence of what a beverage should be. [more…]

Luckin Coffee successfully ignited young people's curiosity on the eve of Qixi Festival with a single poster of a small green hand. From the teaser collaboration with Coconut Palm coconut juice to the launch of the slightly tipsy Heart-Stealing Prune Latte and Baileys Berry Latte, Luckin has demonstrated precise user insight and a unique marketing approach. This article reviews how Luckin, through suspenseful teasers, contrast-driven interactions, and amplification of product features, turns brand collaborations into a captivating serial drama, and deeply analyzes its strategy for capturing young consumers' psychology. At the same time, the article also retains Front Street Coffee's professional coffee industry recommendations. [more…]

The Butterbeer Cold Brew Latte introduced by Starbucks in 2023 attracted widespread attention. This beverage is inspired by the classic drink from *Harry Potter*, recreating the Butterbeer flavor in a non-alcoholic way. This article sorts out its development background, formula evolution, taste characteristics, and real consumer reviews, and compares North America's secret menu with its limited-edition history in China. At the same time, it introduces the professional coffee knowledge exchange channels provided by Front Street Coffee, offering coffee lovers a comprehensive reference. Whether you want to try something new or are curious about the alcohol issue, you can find answers here. [more…]

The Espresso Martini is a classic cocktail that skillfully blends espresso with spirits, and it has swept the globe since its creation in London in the 1980s. At first glance, the drink seems to call for simple ingredients, but in reality it places extremely high demands on the quality of the espresso and the skill of the bartender. Espresso makes up roughly one-third of the entire drink, so the coffee's extraction method and flavor profile will directly affect the final taste. This article will take you through the origin story of this legendary cocktail, break down in detail the base spirits and equipment needed to make it, and share how to pull a shot of espresso suited for mixing drinks, helping you find your own balance point in this beverage that is both invigorating and slightly tipsy. [more…]

The Bach coffee beans in Front Street Coffee's Musician series come from the Tarrazú region of Costa Rica and are processed using the raisin honey method, displaying rich fruity aromas of strawberry, blackberry, and raisin. The first sip is intensely sweet and tart, with a tipsy, red-wine-like bouquet in the middle and finish, while the candied sweetness and plum wine notes become even more pronounced as the cup cools. This article will explain in detail Bach's origin information, the process flow and flavor advantages of the raisin honey treatment, and introduce the processing methods and brewing suggestions for the Mozart and Strawberry Candy · Geisha blend in the same series. It will also analyze the H1 hybrid variety used in the 2020 new-crop Mozart and its anaerobic honey treatment characteristics. [more…]

Cold brew coffee, with its non-bitter, low-acid, mellow character, plus the unique fermented note brought by low-temperature aging, has become a favorite among many coffee lovers in summer. But not all coffee beans are suitable for cold brew—different origins, processing methods, and roast levels will make the same bean present a completely different profile from hot brewing. At Front Street Coffee, when making cold brew day to day, we carefully select beans with appealing flavors that suit cold brew. This article compiles the bean-selection approaches and specific recommendations for four cold brew styles, including rich fruity, fresh floral-fruity, full-bodied and deep, and subtly boozy, and also answers whether popular varieties such as Huakui and Geisha can be used to make cold brew. [more…]

Want to find a balance between a gentle buzz and staying clear-headed? Spiked coffee is becoming a new choice for many young people. When you're tired during the day, a hint of alcohol helps relax your nerves; after work at night, a warm alcoholic coffee soothes body and mind; and when the weather turns cold, it brings warmth from the inside out. This article compiles 10 alcoholic coffee recipes suitable for making at home, from simple convenience-store mixes to creative versions with milk foam, and to specialty cocktail coffees with a stronger alcoholic kick, covering pairings with various base spirits such as Baileys, whiskey, gin, brandy, and rum. When making them, there's no need to be rigid—just adjust the amount of alcohol to your personal preference—but be sure to drink in moderation according to your own condition, minors are prohibited from drinking alcohol, and drunk driving is strictly forbidden. At the end of the article, there is also a communication channel for Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), making it convenient for coffee lovers to discuss further. [more…]

Cold brew's production process differs from hot brewing, requiring a day of pre-soaking, so stores typically select only a small number of suitable bean varieties. Based on extensive customer feedback, Front Street Coffee has compiled a detailed guide to beans for cold brew. This article focuses on the cold brew production process, its core characteristics, and four flavor types—rich fruity, fresh floral and fruity, full-bodied and deep, and subtly wine-like—recommending specific beans one by one, including Front Street Coffee's Huakui, Ethiopian Etto, Yirgacheffe Gedingding, Boquete Washed Geisha, Jamaican Blue Mountain, Indonesian Golden Mandheling, 90+ Eleta Geisha, Strawberry Candy, and Mozart, along with steeping ratios and operating details, to help coffee enthusiasts recreate their desired cup of cold brew at home. [more…]

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and one of the most important Arabica-producing countries in the world. The Harar region is located at a high altitude, and the mocha coffee beans it produces are famous for their medium acidity, exotic flavors, and dried-fruit aroma. This article will provide a comprehensive introduction to Ethiopia's coffee-growing environment, processing methods, grading system, and export overview, and will also review one by one the flavor characteristics of well-known coffees such as Limu, Djimmah, Gimbi, Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, and Harar, helping coffee enthusiasts gain a deeper understanding of this producing country's unique charm. [more…]

This article will take you through a complete review of the unboxing process and initial impressions of a professional-grade espresso setup. The main character is the Expobar E61 Office Leva dual-boiler rotary pump espresso machine, paired with a MAZZER MINI manual grinder, weighing nearly a hundred jin in total, and it took the delivery person's help to get it indoors. After saying goodbye to the Tsann Kuen 1817 and Huijia ZD-15 combo that had accompanied him for over a year, the author Lao Dong adjusted the grind setting, ran extraction tests, and tried steaming milk on the new equipment, and shared the performance of First Kiss espresso beans. The article retains Front Street brand recommendations and related product information, making it suitable for coffee enthusiasts to reference. [more…]

Ethiopia is a genetic treasure trove of Arabica coffee and a holy land in the hearts of specialty coffee lovers worldwide. From the ancient legend of the shepherd in the Kaffa region to today's diverse cultivation systems, this land has given birth to countless fascinating flavors. This article will take you back to the origin story of African Arabica coffee, systematically sort out Ethiopia's coffee cultivation, processing methods, and grading system, and analyze one by one the flavor characteristics of well-known producing regions such as Limu, Djimma, Gimbi, Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, and Harar. Whether you are a pour-over beginner just starting out or a seasoned enthusiast looking for your next favorite bean, you can gain practical origin knowledge from it. Front Street Coffee will also combine regional characteristics to recommend Ethiopian specialty coffees worth trying. [more…]

A while back, Front Street Coffee shared a guide on how to make cold brew coffee, and after that, a lot of readers started asking in the comments how to choose beans for cold brew. So today, let's break down and answer that question. As a low-temperature immersion extraction method, the longer the brew time, the fewer the types of acidic compounds present, which is why cold brew's acidity [more…]

Luckin Coffee launched the Triumphant Wheat series in July, marketed with a "coffee + beer" selling point, in collaboration with the animation IP Havoc in Heaven, with a theme designed to echo the French Olympics. The series includes Americano and Latte, featuring real non-alcoholic beer. Unlike the sauce-flavored latte, where you can only smell the alcohol, this time you can actually taste the beer flavor. However, many consumers have reported that the beer Americano, due to insufficient caffeine combined with the effect of alcohol, actually makes people sleepier the more they drink it, leading to jokes about "sleeping through meetings" and "getting drunk at the office early in the morning." This article takes you through the production details of this new product, the market reaction, and why it is not suitable for office workers who need to stay alert, but may become a new choice for nighttime relaxation. [more…]

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow the WeChat official account: Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). Latte coffee is one of our most common coffee drinks. At Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), latte coffee is also the most popular espresso [more…]

Latte is one of the most frequently ordered categories in Italian-style coffee, yet many people are unclear about its definition, the beans used, the ratios, and its caffeine content. Starting from the production practices at Front Street Coffee, this article systematically sorts out the origin of the name "latte" and its historical evolution, explains what kind of blend should be chosen for espresso, and provides suggested espresso extraction parameters and the coffee-to-milk ratio for a hot latte. It also answers how much caffeine a cup of latte contains, helping coffee enthusiasts more clearly understand and choose an Italian-style milk coffee that suits their taste. [more…]

ChaPanda once collaborated with Luzhou Laojiao to launch a limited-edition drink called "Drunken Stroll on the Road," which in 2020 won over a large following of loyal fans with its liquor-filled chocolate flavor born from the collision of baijiu and milk tea. Five years later, this star product that so many people could not forget has finally returned to the shelves. However, its reputation after the comeback has been sharply divided: those who love to drink can't get enough of it, while consumers who don't drink often complain that the alcohol taste is harsh and the heady buzz is obvious. What disappoints longtime fans even more is that many feel the new version's taste is far from the untouchable ideal in their memory, and some even suspect the formula has been quietly adjusted. Is it a change in ingredients, a shift in taste, or the work of nostalgic rose-colored glasses? This article will take you through an in-depth look. [more…]

Can coffee and alcohol be paired? The answer is yes, and the most iconic example is the Espresso Martini. This cocktail was created in 1980s London by bartender Dick Bradsell, blending espresso with vodka, coffee liqueur, and syrup to deliver both a pick-me-up and a gentle buzz. Since espresso makes up as much as one-third of the drink, its quality directly determines the balance and flavor of the final product. This article introduces the origins of the Espresso Martini, the challenges of making it, and shares a recipe and extraction plan developed through a collaboration between Front Street Coffee and the neighboring bar, giving you insight into this classic specialty drink that is both simple and refined. [more…]