Jennifer Barnett, owner of Dry A.F. Craft Beverage Shop in Schoharie, has turned challenge into success.
Jennifer was a hairstylist for 24 years prior to opening her beverage shop and brought her salon clientele to her small building at 283 Main Street Schoharie in 2019. Jennifer was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2021 and knew she needed to turn her Main Street location into a different, less physically demanding job and bring additional retail to Schoharie’s quaint business strip. Jennifer found that alcohol made her symptoms worse and discovered there weren’t many options in the area for NA beverages. Thus, Dry A.F. was born. Today the shop carries a variety of NA beverages from small, women, and minority-owned businesses including alcohol free wine, beer, mock spirits, hemp, herbal and mushroom-infused beverages and even farm-crafted sodas for kids.
When not running her business or working her other two jobs, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her dogs, gardening and kayaking. She also serves on Schoharie’s Comprehensive Plan Committee, helping to shape the future of the community and volunteers for the village food pantry on Saturday mornings. In the future, Jennifer hopes to expand her business hours and plans to open a second location in Schenectady.
KathodeRay is amazed by how Jennifer did not let MS define her and used her lived experience to make a meaningful contribution to the Schoharie business community!
