Recently, netizens discovered that in a lucky draw event run by the official Chongqing account of Chagee, the same user won four times within a single month, sparking widespread skepticism. Because the account's lucky draw did not use the platform's built-in system tool but was instead manually selected by operations staff, many netizens suspected "black box manipulation" in the event. Although the questioned winner came forward to clarify that they simply participated frequently and had good luck, the explanation only deepened public suspicion. As of press time, Chagee's official side has yet to make any response to the matter. [more…]

With less than two months left before the end of 2023, Luckin Coffee seems to have another major move in store. On October 29, WBC World Barista Champion Boram Julio Um posted multiple group photos on social media, expressing his delight at working with the Luckin team and tagging several people in the photos. Judging from the images, this is very likely the sixth WBC champion spokesperson signed by Luckin. The photos feature not only Boram himself, but also 2014 champion Hidemitsu Izaki, 2022 champion Anthony Douglas, and 2018 champion Agnieszka Rojewska—several champions gathered together, all wearing Luckin barista aprons. This article will review the background of this collaboration, Luckin's champion spokesperson strategy, and the latest progress of its global bean-sourcing program. [more…]

Every year, global coffee production is enormous, and different regions and processing methods give coffee beans an endless variety of flavors. Rather than trying blindly, many enthusiasts choose to buy award-winning beans from competitions directly, which ensures quality and lets them experience the award-winning flavors. Coffee farmers also hope to achieve good rankings through competitions to increase the selling price and reputation of their green beans. However, a specialty coffee evaluation in Yunlin County, Taiwan, for self-produced beans was disrupted by a computer system failure that scrambled the codes linking entrants to coffee beans, causing errors in the previously announced rankings: a Grand Prize winner became a Gold Award winner, drawing attention. The organizers urgently corrected the list and promised to pay the bonus difference, but the credibility of the competition still faces a test. [more…]

While brands like Heytea, Nayuki, Starbucks, and Luckin are fiercely battling it out in the end market—rolling out collaborations, launching new products, and cutting prices in turn—it is actually the ingredient and packaging suppliers behind them that are quietly making a fortune. From Jiahe Foods to Sanyuan Biology, from Tianye Co. to Hengxin Life, and on to Dexin Foods, a group of supply chain enterprises for the new-style beverage industry are collectively sprinting toward the capital market. They serve well-known brands such as Uni-President, Xiangpiaopiao, CoCo都可, Mixue Bingcheng, Genki Forest, Nayuki, and Luckin, and have achieved soaring performance through products such as sugar substitutes, juices, paper cups, and syrups. This article will sort through the listing landscape of these low-key suppliers and reveal the real path to riches for upstream enterprises under the wave of new consumption. [more…]

The 2023 Cup of Excellence (CoE) in Brazil underwent a major competition format change, for the first time dividing participating green beans into three categories: dry process, wet process, and experimental process, with awards evaluated separately for each. This change aims to respect different processing methods, encourage producer innovation, and promote fair competition. After pre-selection and multiple rounds of national and international judging, the lists of ten winning beans in each of the three groups have been announced, with a minimum score requirement of 87 points. Erwin Mierisch, Executive Director of the Alliance for Coffee Excellence, stated that the new classification both recognizes the value of traditional processing methods and responds to market demand for innovative processing methods. This article will outline the competition format details, the winning situation in each group, and explore the profound impact of this change on the specialty coffee industry. [more…]

In today's increasingly rich coffee culture, whether chain brands or independent cafés, all have begun to launch their own roasted coffee beans. This article reviews ten of the most representative in-house roasting coffee brands worldwide, covering China, Germany, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. From Guangzhou's time-honored Front Street Coffee to Gardelli, a frequent winner at world roasting competitions, each brand has its own unique roasting philosophy and sourcing standards. The article provides detailed introductions to each brand's founding time, origin characteristics, roasting style, and signature products, helping coffee enthusiasts understand the advantages of different brands and directions for purchasing. [more…]

The 2022 Alishan Estate Coffee Elite Exchange Competition and Green Bean Matchmaking Evaluation was held on May 11. Competing beans were divided into four groups by processing method: washed, natural, honey, and Geisha. Participants had to submit parchment and green beans, which the organizers uniformly roasted, and then 15 CQI-certified Q-Graders conducted sensory evaluations using the SCA cupping form. Only beans scoring 80 or above could participate in the auction. In the auction the next day, the special prize in the natural group, Zouzhuyuan Coffee Beans, started bidding at NT$60,000 and soared all the way to NT$520,000/5kg, won by the Lion Group, setting a new record for Taiwanese coffee bean auctions. Notably, these beans were not of the Geisha variety, yet they fetched a top-tier Geisha price, while the special prize in the Geisha group was only NT$320,000. This article takes you through the ins and outs of this sky-high bidding and analyzes the industrial logic behind the rise of Taiwan's local coffee. [more…]

The Sidra variety has risen to fame in the specialty coffee world in recent years, becoming a focal point after being chosen by two World Barista Championship winners. It originally came from Ecuador, developed by crossbreeding Typica and Red Bourbon, and genetic testing shows it has a genetic connection to Ethiopian landraces. It is currently mainly grown in Ecuador and Colombia, with Finca El Diviso in the Huila region of Colombia drawing much attention after Anthony Douglas's championship win. Front Street Coffee has also introduced this bean, using a double anaerobic washed process and a medium-light roast, presenting rich fruit flavors of apricot, citrus, and grape. This article will guide you through the origins of Sidra, the story of Finca El Diviso, the variety's characteristics, and Front Street's brewing recommendations. [more…]

The results of the 2024 Cup of Excellence (COE) Ethiopia competition have been announced, and this year's event has many highlights: all 27 winning coffees were naturally processed, and every one of them came from the JARC numerical variety series, with the Sidama region emerging as the biggest winner. Looking back, since Ethiopia first hosted the COE in 2020, it once set a record high price of $400.5 per pound; after being suspended in 2023 due to civil war, this year's relaunch has delivered a remarkable result. This article will walk you through the detailed results of this year's competition and take a deeper look at the geographical advantages of the Sidama sub-regions Bensa and Bona, as well as the origins of the JARC numerical varieties. [more…]

If you frequently buy specialty coffee beans, you have surely seen the letters "COE" on packaging labels. What exactly do they stand for? Why are beans bearing the COE mark often more expensive? This article will give you a comprehensive understanding of COE—from its origins and founding organization, to its specific differences from the SCA cupping scoring system, and then to the three-stage competition format of the Ethiopia COE, breaking it all down one by one. It will also explain the difference between COE auction lots and national winner lots, as well as the difference between "same-lot" beans on the market and true auction lots, helping you more accurately understand and select coffee beans. [more…]

Fazenda Rainha is a legendary coffee estate owned by the Carvalho Dias family. It has won numerous awards since the first Brazil Cup of Excellence competition in 1999, and even took first place in 2011. The estate is located in a volcanic valley in the Mogiana region of São Paulo State, at an altitude of 1,400 to 1,950 meters. The Yellow Bourbon variety is entirely hand-picked and processed using the pulped natural method, creating a unique flavor profile that is sweet, clean, bright in acidity, and has tropical fruit aromas. Front Street Coffee's Fazenda Rainha coffee beans have a rich nutty aroma and a balanced taste, suitable for various brewing methods such as moka pot, Americano, siphon, and drip bags, and can be purchased at the Front Street Tmall flagship store. This article will provide a comprehensive analysis of the estate's background, processing techniques, award records, roasting analysis, and pour-over parameters, taking you deeper into this exemplary Brazilian specialty coffee. [more…]

Panama specialty coffee is world-renowned for varieties such as Geisha, and the Boquete region is home to a concentration of star estates. This article takes you deep into Panama's common coffee varieties, the flavor innovations brought by dry and honey processing, and focuses on Elida Estate—a legendary estate that has been a frequent winner at Best of Panama over the past five years. From the fertile volcanic soil at altitudes of 1,670 to 1,850 meters, to the Lamastus family's commitment to ecology and quality, Elida has achieved repeated success with the Catuai variety, demonstrating the perfect combination of terroir and processing craft. Front Street Coffee will also recommend Panamanian coffees worth paying attention to. [more…]

Duncan Estate in the Boquete production region of Panama is a specialty coffee estate under the Kotowa family with a history of over a hundred years. With its exceptional geographical conditions and strict ecological management, it has become a frequent winner at BOP auctions. This article provides a comprehensive introduction to Duncan Estate's production region background, growing environment, processing techniques, and award history, with a focus on analyzing the flavor characteristics of its Geisha White Honey processed coffee beans. At the same time, Front Street Coffee has also acquired the estate's Natural Caturra, presenting through medium-light roasting and cupping a layered profile of floral notes, candied fruit, and fermented fruit nuances. Whether you are a Geisha enthusiast or a Caturra fan, you can experience the unique charm of Panamanian specialty coffee. [more…]

Panamanian coffee was long underrated until the Best of Panama cupping competition and the emergence of Hacienda La Esmeralda completely rewrote the landscape. Small farms in the Boquete region, with their unique floral aromas and clean fruit tones, achieved cupping quality far surpassing their peers. The Kotowa family, as the biggest winner of the 2012 BOP, owns Duncan and Don K estates that straddle both sides of a volcanic ridge, where microclimate differences give rise to distinctly different flavor profiles. This article focuses on the Kotowa family background and Duncan Estate's farm characteristics, processing details, and cupping performance. Front Street Coffee simultaneously recommends this natural-process bean, taking you to appreciate this mellow masterpiece from the eastern slopes of Barú Volcano. [more…]

The Central American Volcanic Belt has nurtured many high-quality coffee origins. Honduras, as Central America's second-largest and the world's tenth-largest coffee exporter, has achieved impressive results in both output and quality thanks to its high-altitude mountains, volcanic soil, and diverse climate. Among its six major producing regions, Comayagua has risen to prominence in recent years, known for its lemon flavor, creamy full body, and chocolate notes. At the 2023 COE Cup of Excellence, El Gravileo farm from this region ranked 18th with a score of 88.07, becoming the region's only winner. This article will guide you through the historical context of Honduran coffee, the terroir conditions of Comayagua, and the story of this farm's competition journey. [more…]

Luckin Coffee once again demonstrated its "champion harvester" prowess, officially announcing on February 20th the signing of Anthony Douglas, the 2022 WBC World Barista Champion, bringing him into the "Luckin WBC Champion Team." Starting in March, Anthony will lead a bean-sourcing team deep into Ethiopia and Panama, two renowned origins, to participate in green bean procurement. This marks Luckin's fifth collaboration with a WBC champion, following Hidenori Izaki, Andrej Latuada, Pan Zhimin, and Agnieszka Rojewska. Anthony won the championship with his innovative technique of concentrating milk using freeze-drying technology, and previously served as a global ambassador for La Marzocco. Having come up through Melbourne's Axil Coffee Roasters, his addition will inject new vitality into Luckin's specialty coffee line. Whether the future "Little Black Cup" series will feature Panama Geisha is something worth looking forward to. For more specialty coffee news, welcome to follow Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). [more…]

Luckin Coffee recently partnered with "Little Blue and His Friends" to launch a scratch-card sticker game: consumers who buy two drinks receive a limited-edition sticker with a scratch-off area, giving them a chance to win a free coffee. However, after the campaign launched, employees at some stores used flashlights to see through the scratch-off area from the back and learn the winning results in advance, even "cheating" in front of customers, sparking consumer dissatisfaction. The article explores how this marketing campaign, while bringing small moments of joy, also caused frustration for some customers due to design flaws and execution problems, and reflects on how brand reward campaigns can balance fun and fairness. [more…]

The rare variety Sidra came into the public eye thanks to its selection by two World Barista Championship winners. It originally comes from Pichincha Province, Ecuador, and genetic research shows it is related to Ethiopian native varieties. It is currently grown mainly in Ecuador and Colombia. The anaerobically fermented Sidra lot from Finca El Diviso in the Huila region of Colombia, selected by 2022 WBC champion Anthony Douglas, has further driven the estate and the variety's rising popularity. This article will sort out Sidra's origins, plant characteristics, and flavor profile, and introduce the Sidra coffee beans from Finca El Diviso brought in by Front Street Coffee, along with brewing suggestions, providing a complete reference for coffee lovers. [more…]

The AeroPress, with its极高 playability, attracts many coffee enthusiasts to get involved, and the official organization even holds专属 competitions every year to see who is the best at "playing" with it. In this article, Front Street is going to share a universal extraction recipe from an AeroPress champion—this champion is none other than粕谷哲, the 2016 World Coffee Championship winner and inventor of the famous 4:6 method. This recipe adopts a high-concentration, low-extraction approach, using a large dose of coffee to extract a small amount of highly concentrated coffee liquid in a short time, then diluting it with water or ice to make a hot or iced drink. Using an Ethiopian Hamashu light-to-medium roast floral and fruity bean as an example, Front Street records in detail the dose, grind size, water temperature, extraction time, and inverted pressure operation steps, and also provides by-pass dilution suggestions and flavor tasting references. Friends who have an AeroPress at home should definitely give it a try. [more…]

The Copán region of Honduras is renowned for its chocolate-toned profile blended with honey-caramel sweetness, and the San Vicente processing plant is a frequent winner at the Cup of Excellence. The Pacas coffee beans cupped by Front Street Coffee this time come from smallholder Edgardo Tinoco near the San Vicente processing plant; after washed processing, they present a rich layering of black cherry, dark chocolate cake, almond and caramel. This article will sort through information on the Honduran growing region, the background of the San Vicente processing plant, the characteristics of the Pacas variety and the washed processing flow, and share Front Street's roasting records, cupping reports and V60 staged pouring insights, helping coffee lovers fully understand this bean's flavor thread and brewing key points from origin to cup. [more…]