"archer farms" news and stories

Everyone knows that Target is ground zero for everyday sundries like laundry soap, cat food, and hairspray. But did you know that the mammoth Minneapolis-based retailer stocks some of the best coffee in the world?

In 2006, Target -- which has 1,752 locations in 49 states (Vermont is the only state without a Target store) -- began buying up coffee from micro-batches with Cup of Excellence designation.

What's "Cup of Excellence?" It's the top award given to coffee beans -- the equivalent of a Grammy or an Oscar for the coffee industry. A panel of judges conduct cuppings (coffee-speak for tasting) a total of five times during the competition, which is hosted in the country of origin.

Coffee farms in nine different countries participate: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Rwanda. The winner's coffee is then sold to the highest bidder during an online auction -- and ultimately brought to coffee drinkers in the United States.

Last year Target bought beans from five Cup of Excellence winners, including the winner from Colombia. Currently Target is selling coffee from the Cup of Excellence 2009 winner (Flor de Mayo) in Bolivia, with farmer Pedro Castro Conurana at the helm. But you might never notice, because it's packaged under the store's in-house label, Archer Farms. To find it, search for the 10-ounce bags (or tins) of Archer Farm coffee beans marked "Cup of Excellence." The best part? The price: Only $15 for a 10-ounce tin of whole beans. You'll have to shop in person, though -- the coffee isn't available online.

• Get great coffee recipes from our sister site, Kitchen Daily.

When it comes to assembling the bar for your holiday party, there's a certain list of basics you must have on hand--vodka, gin, whiskey, cola, tonic, etc. Such a bar will certainly serve to make a decent drink and satisfy most customers, but won't add anything special to the festivities. The easiest--and cheapest--way to add a little magic is with unusual mixers. Here's five that will add a twist to your cocktail menu.

1. Canada Dry Sparkling Green Tea Ginger Ale
It mixes equally well with bourbon, vodka and light rum and works nicely in a punch. The antioxidants listed on the bottle may come in handy when battling the holidays' excesses, but the large amount of sugar won't help with that Christmas waistline.

2. Sence Rose Petal Nectar
If you wish to offer chick drinks that are more Deneuve/Dietrich than Carrie Bradshaw, rose petal nectar can come in handy. Try the elegant American Beauty--not the brandy version, but one made with vanilla vodka, lemon juice and rose petal nectar.

We're back on Target. Or rather, we're back to looking at Target's in-store brand, Archer Farms, and some of the products they offer.

I mentioned the Chocolate Chip Petite Cookies last week, which were fine, but not worth running off to Target, battling the Soccer Moms in SUVs in the parking lot, and waiting in a confusing doubled-up line for 15 minutes. They're chocolate chip cookies, for goodness' sake!

Key Lime White Chocolate Cookies are the next installment of my Archer Farms Target Finds. The cookies are packaged in the same way as the regular chocolate chip, but everything is green -- in case you couldn't figure out that there is lime somewhere in the cookie.