Alcohol-free craft beverage shop opening in Schoharie

SCHOHARIE, N.Y. ( NEWS10 ) — A new craft beverage store is set to open in Schoharie, but it’ll be completely alcohol-free. dry A. F. Craft Beverage Shop is having its grand opening on Friday, March 8 at 283 Main Street in the same building as owner Jennifer Barnett’s hair salon, Unicorn Alchemy.

“My relationship with alcohol had to change for several reasons,” said Barnett. “I really noticed a lack of any kind of beverage when I went out to a restaurant or to a bar unless it was alcohol or water or coffee. I didn’t really have anything else that was satisfying to my palate the way a cocktail would have.”

Barnett has been a hairdresser for 24 years and has been studying herbalism for several years. She originally wanted to put an apothecary in her salon but couldn’t make them work together.

“These stores and even NA bars are popular in New York City, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and out on the west coast in LA and California, but we don’t have anything like that here in upstate New York,” said Barnett.

In the Capital Region, Barnett said the only place close to a non-alcoholic craft beverage store is Empire Too in Albany. However, they have both alcoholic and non-alcoholic craft drinks.

dry A. F. Craft Beverage Shop will have non-alcoholic beers, wines, liquors, seltzers, still waters, fermented shrubs and other herbal drinks, and sugar-free beverages. Barnett said the shop is just sticking to craft beverages right now, but she may start selling drinkware and accessories in the future.

“Of course they are not going to hit your palate exactly the way drinking a shot of alcohol would, but there are notes that hit your senses in a similar way,” said Barnett.

Not all drinks in the shop will have a similar taste and experience to drinking alcohol. Some people who are living a sober life don’t want to be reminded or anything close to alcohol, said Barnett.

dry A. F. Craft Beverage Shop will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Barnett said she may eventually change the hours depending on what the community needs.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NEWS10 ABC.