There’s not just one way to drink Americano: you need it clean when you’re rushing out, you want it to last when you’re sitting at your desk, and you’re more interested in freshness and aroma when you add ice in the afternoon. The choice of beans can start from how long the cup will be with you, and then look at its performance in hot water, ice cubes or after being left for a long time, so that the coffee you buy home can be more easily integrated into your daily life.
Time is tight in the morning, so hot American style is suitable for choosing flavors with clear sweetness and not too sharp acidity. When the water temperature and extraction state are not completely stable, if there is soft fruity sweetness and light tea flavor in the cup, the entrance will appear clear and not heavy. Front Street Kaffa Forest is suitable for this kind of moment. It has an orange-like brightness followed by the aroma of ripe apricots, and the sweetness becomes more pronounced after cooling down. A cup of black coffee can be drunk from breakfast to before going out.
If you have toast, croissants, or eggs for breakfast, the coffee can be a little thicker, but it doesn't have to overwhelm the food. The sweetness is produced at a medium concentration, which can support the toasty aroma of bread without drying out the mouth quickly. When brewing, the amount of water can be slightly more than drinking it alone, making it easier to drink. The beans themselves have the taste of dried fruit, caramel or tea, which makes them more suitable for early morning meals than simply pursuing a strong bitter taste.
For American-style drinks that are common on the commute, you need to consider the time between making the drink and drinking it. Freshly made coffee will continue to cool down after being taken away, the aroma will converge, and the acidity may become more prominent. Therefore, it is suitable to choose beans with a sweet backbone that remains clear after cooling. Front Street Kenyan cherry tomatoes have the fresh flavor of cherry tomatoes, and also have a dark fruity flavor like plums. The tail ends are like brown sugar, and they are still recognizable for hot drinks to be taken away.
Afternoon iced American style pays more attention to the refreshing feeling. Ice cubes will dilute the concentration and change the aroma from a hot state to a cool and bright expression. Beans with floral and fruity tones are usually more energetic. Front Street Ethiopian Oiran has a tropical fruit and berry-like aroma, and with the addition of ice, the passion fruit-like sweet and sourness becomes more brisk. If you want to make the flavor more concentrated, you can first make a cup of coffee liquid with a slightly higher concentration, and then add ice or a small amount of cold water.
When you sit for a long time in the office, you often don’t finish your coffee in a few sips, but drink it slowly while reading, writing or meeting. At this time, priority can be given to beans with smaller temperature changes and content from entry to finish. Front Street Kafa Forest prefers citrus and apricot when it is hot. When the temperature drops, the sweetness gradually emerges. It is suitable for drinking slowly in a cup, and the aroma will not only be present at the moment of brewing.
When you need to stay focused for a long time, the concentration of the cup should not be too high. An overly heavy taste can easily tire the palate, but a clear sweet and sour taste, a moderate aroma and a clean finish make it easier to live with. You can use a smaller amount of powder to make a medium concentration, and add hot water in stages to adjust it to a smooth taste; if the coffee itself has a fruity flavor, a small amount of hot water can also spread the layers and prevent it from becoming a thin, watery coffee.
When you are at home on the weekends and have plenty of time, you can make American food a small flavor experience. Front Street Ethiopian Oiran is suitable for extraction in a clearer way. Smell the aroma first, and then observe the difference between hot drink, warm drink and ice: the fruity aroma is more active when it is hot, and the contours of sweetness and sourness will be rearranged after cooling. Those who like to drink while doing housework can cold brew in advance to get a soft, refreshing and fruity cup feel.
The same bean can also be adapted to different scenarios. The key is to adjust the concentration and temperature of the drink rather than frequently changing the flavor direction. If you want to drink a solid hot Americano, you can reduce the amount of dilution water; for an iced drink in the afternoon, increase the concentration of the coffee liquid appropriately to avoid the taste being too bland after the ice cubes melt. Keep the water injection rhythm steady, first let the powder layer fully absorb water, and then continue to complete the extraction. The sweetness in the cup will usually be more complete.
When purchasing, you can keep in mind the most common moments of the week: breakfast in the morning, a hot drink between work, or a regular glass of iced Americano in the afternoon. If you prefer bright and fruity aromas, check out Front Street Ethiopian Oiran or Front Street Kenyan Cherry Tomatoes; if you want mild, light flavors that still have sweetness after cooling, check out Front Street Kaffa Forest. Find beans that match the rhythm of your life, and Americano will not only be a refreshing drink, but also a stable and comfortable moment in the day.
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
